Koka ransomware attack silences city's emergency loudspeakers

Ransomware is malware that locks up systems and typically demands payment to restore them. The city says the names of people and businesses that have a terminal installed may have leaked, and it is investigating.

What has stopped working in Koka?

The city has 229 outdoor loudspeakers. Normally they play a melody at set times such as noon, and in an emergency they announce evacuation information together with the home terminals. Now emergency broadcasts on both devices are halted. So are notices from neighbourhood associations, the daily melody and the obituary notices Aikom Koka provides. The city has no estimate for recovery.

How will Koka residents get emergency alerts?

The city says it will use other channels instead: its official LINE account, its Aikoka Emergency Mail service, television, radio and the Shiga Prefecture disaster prevention app.

For residents, that means signing up for those services matters more than usual right now, especially for people who relied on the loudspeaker or the household terminal. The city says it will publish updates on whether any data was leaked and when the system will be restored once it knows more.