In the wake of a ransomware attack, the city council of Calvià, located on the Spanish island of Majorca, faces a €10 million extortion demand from cybercriminals. Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual has declared that the council will not yield to the demand, emphasizing its commitment to restoring normalcy without succumbing to ransom pressure.
Calvià, with approximately 50,000 residents, fell victim to the cyberattack discovered on a Saturday morning. A crisis cabinet has been mobilized to assess the extent of the breach, with the IT Service and a team of specialists conducting mandatory forensic analyses and working on service recovery processes.
The council has temporarily halted all administrative deadlines, including civil claims and requests, until the end of January due to the attack. Despite the inconvenience caused, the council expressed regret and assured residents of its dedication to resolving the situation promptly.
Mayor Amengual, echoing Spain’s stance as a signatory to the Counter Ransomware Initiative, remains steadfast in refusing to pay the ransom. The initiative, which received Spain’s support last year, forbids relevant institutions subject to national government authority from complying with ransomware extortion demands.
The city council has engaged the cybercrime department of the Civil Guard, providing them with a preliminary forensic analysis. The official statement on the council’s website reiterated its commitment to addressing the situation in an orderly, rapid, and effective manner.
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