London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

President Rodrigo Chaves says Costa Rica is at war with Conti hackers

President Rodrigo Chaves says Costa Rica is at war with Conti hackers

The president of Costa Rica says his country is "at war", as cyber-criminals cause major disruption to IT systems of numerous government ministries.

Rodrigo Chaves said hackers infiltrated 27 government institutions, including municipalities and state-run utilities.

The Conti ransomware cartel, which is thought to be run from Russia, has upped its ransom demand to $20m (£16m).

The criminals posted an appeal online to Costa Ricans to "go out on the street and demand payment".

Mr Chaves held a press conference on Monday to outline his "Plan for Implementation of Cyber-security Measures".

He gave no indication that he was planning on paying the ransom, in spite of growing disruption to government departments.

On Wednesday, the Costa Rican Treasury told civil servants that the hack had affected automatic payment services. It warned that they would not be paid on time, and would need to apply for their salaries by email, or on paper by hand.

The ministry said: "Due to the temporary downturn of the institutional systems, the service of issuing certificates regarding the amounts of salaries owed to the civil servants of the Central Administration is suspended.

"All applications received via email or in the windows of the National Accountancy will be attended to once systems are restored."

According to the government, the attacks also affected the country's foreign trade by hitting its tax and customs systems.

Mr Chaves launches his Plan for Implementation of Cyber-security Measures in response to the hack


The president, who was elected fewer than two weeks ago, declared the incident a "national emergency" and has repeatedly blamed his predecessor for not taking the cyber-attack seriously enough.

The hackers were demanding $10m when the attack started last month.

A government website says that a declaration of a state of emergency allows it, in exceptional cases, to undertake on its own some procedures that would normally require legislative approval.

For example, it allows the government to allocate public funds to deal with an emergency, without previous legislative consent.

"The attack being experienced by Costa Rica at the hands of cyber-criminals, cyber-terrorists, is declared a national emergency," Mr Chavez said, according to local media.

"We are signing this decree, precisely, to declare a state of national emergency across the entire public sector of the Costa Rican state, and allow our society to respond to those attacks as criminal actions."

The Conti hacking group has posted more than 600 gigabytes of government data online, and is threatening to publish more.

It has also posted on its darknet website that it will delete the decryption keys needed to restore the government's computer systems to normality, unless it is paid within a week.

"There is less than a week left when we destroy your keys, we are also working on gaining access to your other systems, you have no other options but to pay us," it threatened.


On its darknet website, Conti writes to the Costa Rican government: "You're forcing us to use terrible methods..."

And "terrible" is the word many cyber-security researchers are using to describe these new tactics the hackers are using to put pressure on the Costa Rican government to pay.

In the past, ransomware crews have attacked public bodies and local governments, but it is rare to see such a disruptive attack on a state.

It's also unprecedented to see such aggressive threats and direct appeals to Costa Ricans to "take to the streets".

The hackers also claim to have operatives on the inside of government - which may be unlikely but further piles the pressure on the president.

In some ways it all reads like desperation.

Conti has probably put a lot of work into its attack and it looks like it may come away empty-handed.

But it is also another terrible reminder of the power criminal hackers can wield, even against governments.

Conti is a prolific Russian speaking ransomware group responsible for many high-profile hacks.

In May 2021, the group carried out a "catastrophic hack" of the Irish Health Service.

On 6 May, the US offered a $10m reward for information about the group's leadership.

It blamed Conti for the cyber-attacks which hit Costa Rica.


Cyber-security researcher Maya Horowitz, of Check Point, says Costa Rica is not the only country to be targeted by criminals, who may be put off US organisations because of pressure from the authorities there.

"Recently we have seen two massive ransomware attacks in Costa Rica and Peru, both reportedly executed by the infamous Conti ransomware gang.

"Based on our latest research, Conti's extortion planning is very focused and based on the ability of the victim to pay," she added.

Mrs Horowitz said the research also suggested that the financial impact of a ransomware attack is "seven times higher than the initial extortion demand, but we assume in the case of a wide attack on a government like we see here, the total costs will be considerably more".


Watch: What is ransomware and how does it work?


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
×