Oklahoma's Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes government has been pressed by the Rhysida ransomware gang to pay 10 bitcoin, or nearly $660,000, following a ransomware intrusion that disrupted its schools and critical systems last month, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Attempted infiltration of the tribal government's IT systems in early December has prompted immediate systems shutdown and insurer coordination for recovery efforts, said officials. Internet outages have also been reported by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes' Department of Education after the attack. Tribal Gov. Reggie Wassana later noted that the tribe's "financial success" has made it an attractive target to Rhysida, which had already attacked Blue Cross Blue Shield, Xerox, and Target.
"Let me be clear: This was a terrorist attack, and WE DID NOT NEGOTIATE NOR SURRENDER. These criminals have not, and will not, receive one cent from the members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes," said Wassana.
