SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—After a month of crippling ransomware attacks, Costa Rica has declared a state of emergency. In theory, the measure usually reserved to deal with natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic would free up the government to react more nimbly to the crisis.
President Rodrigo Chaves, who was sworn in Sunday, made the emergency declaration one of his first acts. It was published Wednesday, but Chaves has not named the members of the National Emergency Commission.
The declaration refers to the attack Costa Rica is suffering at the hands of “cybercriminals” and “cyberterrorists.”
The Russian-speaking Conti gang had claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week the U.S. State Department offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification or location of Conti leaders.
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