Description

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) disclosed on Tuesday, January 23, that it fell victim to a ransomware attack. As a bi-state public transit agency serving seven counties across Missouri and Kansas, KCATA operates 78 bus routes and 6 MetroFlex routes, catering to approximately 10.5 million people annually. The ransomware incident impacted all communication systems, rendering regional RideKC call centers unable to receive calls, and KCATA landlines inoperable. Despite the disruption in communication channels, KCATA emphasized that all transit operations, including fixed-route buses and paratransit services (Freedom and Freedom-On-Demand), continue without interruption. Alternative phone numbers were provided for Freedom and Freedom-On-Demand Paratransit customers seeking trip scheduling assistance. While KCATA reassured passengers about the ongoing functionality of routes, concerns arose regarding the potential theft of sensitive customer data, including personal and payment details. The agency did not provide details on whether registered members and pass holders had their information exposed to cybercriminals. An update on January 27 revealed that the Medusa ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack. The threat actors set a financial demand of $2,000,000 and imposed a 10-day negotiation window. Additionally, Medusa offered the option to extend the deadline for making stolen data public for an additional fee of $100,000 per day. KCATA is collaborating with external cybersecurity professionals to restore systems, and passengers were encouraged to use ridekc.org and the transit app for bus schedule information, which remain unaffected by the cyber incident.