The information technology agency serving the Virginia Legislature was hit by a ransomware attack Friday that has caused significant damage, the Associated Press reports. The malware damaged “all of the agency’s internal servers, including those for bill drafting, the budget system and the General Assembly voicemail system,” according to an email from the executive director of the agency, Dave Burhop. A ransom note was left, but it did not specify an amount or a deadline for sending the ransom. Virginia is the 74th state or local government to suffer a ransomware attack this year, but this is the first on a state legislature. Virginia’s executive branch agencies, law enforcement agencies including the FBI, and cybersecurity firm Mandiant are all assisting with the investigation.
