Van Hollen, Maryland Delegation Members Issue Statement Following Briefing on Baltimore Ransomware Attack

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin along with Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and David Trone, yesterday received a classified briefing from senior employees of the National Security Agency regarding the recent cyberattack on Baltimore. They issued the following statement:

“We are all concerned about the reported leak of cyber tools and the potential for serious damage to American cities and companies. When it comes to the ransomware attack in Baltimore, we all want to know, ‘who’ and ‘how.’”

“Yesterday, we heard that current evidence suggests the city’s network was infected via a phishing effort by malware known as RobbinHood. We urge against further speculation until the investigation is complete and look forward to sharing more as we learn more. We are grateful for the FBI’s ongoing efforts and plan to fully engage with DHS to strengthen systems in Baltimore and across the country to keep this from happening in the future.”