The Suva City Council (SCC) has reported that its digital systems were targeted in a cyber security breach on Sunday, September 22. Despite the attack’s challenges, the council successfully restored its services with minimal interruptions. SCC chair Tevita Boseiwaqa highlighted the council’s quick response, which helped limit the impact and recover important data.
Normal operations have resumed, and efforts are ongoing to reintegrate users into the network. Boseiwaqa noted that the council’s technical team effectively managed the situation, resulting in minimal data loss and the restoration of services. All production servers are now operational, and the integrity of the data has been confirmed.
The cyber attacker had threatened to withhold internal data, demanding a ransom for its release. Boseiwaqa explained that the council secured its databases and restored its systems thanks to prompt actions taken during the incident. When the breach was detected, the council immediately shut down all systems to prevent further damage.
The attack involved malware, specifically ransomware, which entered through a compromised computer. Although the specific entry point of the breach is still under investigation, insights have been gained from external vendors regarding the nature of the attack.
Currently, the SCC is focused on restoring its file servers and processing manual data inputs resulting from the downtime.