On Tuesday, 23 January, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) disclosed that it had fallen victim to a ransomware attack.
On Tuesday, 23 January, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) disclosed that it had fallen victim to a ransomware attack.
KCATA, a bi-state public transit agency serving seven counties spanning Missouri and Kansas, operates 78 bus routes and 6 MetroFlex routes with 300 buses. The company reports providing services to 10.5 million individuals annually.
Responding to the attack, an immediate investigation was initiated into the incident, and the relevant authorities were promptly notified. External experts were enlisted to restore the affected systems.
“A ransom cyber-attack hit the KCATA early Tuesday, January 23. We have contacted all appropriate authorities, including the FBI.” reads the notice published by the company.
According to the KCATA, its services, such as fixed-route buses, Freedom and Freedom-On-Demand paratransit services, remain unaffected by the incident.
The announcement includes alternative phone numbers for scheduling trips for Freedom and Freedom-On-Demand Paratransit customers.
Despite disruptions in call centres, KCATA routes continue to operate normally, ensuring that passenger transit operations remain unimpacted.
“The main customer impact is the inability to make calls to regional RideKC call centres, including any KCATA landline.” continues the notice. “KCATA is working around the clock with our outside cyber professionals and will have systems back up and running as soon as possible.”
The KCATA has not disclosed specific details regarding the attack, including information about the ransomware family that compromised its systems or whether a data breach occurred.
Meanwhile, the Medusa ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack against KCATA.
The gang included the company on its Tor leak site and released samples of purportedly stolen data as evidence of the breach.
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