MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Two weeks have passed since Middletown city services were disrupted by a cybersecurity incident, and one local security expert said it likely involves a ransom request.

Richard Harknett, director of UC’s Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy and co-director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, said it was likely a ransomware attack.

“From the reporting that I have seen, it seems like a classic ... ransomware, encryption type attack,” Harknett said.

The most likely scenario, he said, is a “criminal gang” went in and encrypted systems, leading to the system itself being locked.

Harknett said organizations rolling out these attacks are “sophisticated,” sometimes including an encryption and a negotiation team. These teams will then ask for ransom funds in exchange for the “

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