Dunwoody defends itself against ransomware attack

No data was compromised during the Christmas Eve attack thanks to the swift response of City contractors and staff.

Dunwoody, GA – January 9, 2020 – The City of Dunwoody is working with the FBI to investigate a Christmas Eve attack on the City’s computer systems. Contractors and City staff worked swiftly to defend the City against the ransomware attack and limit the impact.

Backup procedures used by the Dunwoody Police Department ensured continuous operations throughout the holidays, and public safety was never compromised.

“Our officers and staff adjusted quickly, relying on radio communications and written reports,” said Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan. “Our backups worked well and as planned.”

The City has a contract with InterDev for information technology services. On Christmas Eve, InterDev received an alert of an issue with Dunwoody’s system. A security team responded immediately to isolate the problem and protect systems from harm.

“As soon as we detected a problem, we took immediate steps to protect the City’s infrastructure,” said Ashley Smith, Director of Government Services with InterDev. “Data back-ups were used to fully restore systems with no loss.”

No data was compromised, and no ransom was paid. Additional details of the attack are part of the ongoing investigation.

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For more information regarding this incident, please contact Sgt. Robert Parsons, Dunwoody Police Public Information Officer, robert.parsons@dunwoodyga.gov, 678-382-6909. For information about the City of Dunwoody, contact Jennifer Boettcher, Communications Director, at 470-352-2959 or jennifer.boettcher@dunwoodyga.gov.

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