A ransomware attack recently left some residents of South Africa without power. A major power supplier in South Africa’s largest city suffered an attack. City Power subsequently admitted that its IT system had shut down.
***Plat4om giveaway: Check the picture at the end for a surprise.***
The company said a virus had encrypted all its databases, applications and network. The virus also hit City Power’s website, which still remains offline after the incident. Residents affected have had to report the problems via social media.
The ransomware virus attack first affected the customer’s ability to buy pre-paid electricity. It also affected the firm’s ability to respond to blackouts. In an interview with the BBC, a spokesman for the company said that it affected over 250,000 people.
He said, “These are the people on ]the] pre-paid system and would at any given day buy electricity. Those people were not able to access the system.”
The ransomware is a type of malware that locks files and systems and infects computers. The attackers responsible for the malware say that they will only restore access once they receive payment. However, there is no guarantee that they will fulfil their promise.
Meanwhile, the owners of the electricity company have said that most of the IT systems have been restored. Although, the City of Johannesburg officials confirmed that they still experienced problems. In the meantime, customers can now log in their faults on an alternative website.
In the most recent Twitter posts, the City’s official account announced power restorations. It also said various coverage areas in the city had complete power restoration.
UPDATE:Selby new Centre central distributor is tripped.Technicins have been dispatched to work on resoration,we apologise for any inconvinience caused.^LP
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) July 29, 2019
UPDATE:Lotus, Lehae Standby distributor is fully restored.We apprecite your understanding and patience through all the times.^LP
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) July 29, 2019
