Ransomware group called ‘most prolific and destructive’ claims credit for Wichita attack

Wichita’s government operations appear to have been disrupted by a Russian hacker group, according to Eagle research and a cyber threat analyst. A notorious Russian cybercriminal group — LockBit — is claiming credit for the attack on the most populous city in Kansas. A dark web listing flagged by cyber threat analyst Brett Callow indicates LockBit is prepared to post the city’s data for other hackers if a ransom is not paid. LockBit’s demands are unclear. Wichita officials would not confirm whether LockBit or any other group has contacted the city about a ransom. The group is known to ask for [...]

A water main break on south Market Street in Wichita created a sinkhole that two vehicles fell into Monday morning. One was crushed under a large tree that had been uprooted. The main break occurred in the 1100 block of S. Market, near Morris. Part of Market is temporarily closed as crews from Wichita’s public works department remove the tree and repair the water line. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Despite the need, new home construction in Sedgwick County went down last year. The county appraiser estimated a dip in new construction of almost 12%, an estimate that included single-family homes, duplexes and quadplexes. Single-family building permits fell by 9% in the Wichita area, according to the Wichita Area Builders Association. Why? “Inflation, and how fast and high it went up and stayed up — and also interest rates...” Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle