It 's been a week since hackers launched a ransomware attack Attack.Ransom against the city of Atlanta , and local officials are still grappling with its effects . `` We are dealing with a hostage situation , '' Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement . On Thursday , municipal courts were closed again and residents were unable to pay their traffic tickets or water bills online . In some cases , employees had to fill out urgent forms and reports by hand , CNN reported . The city allowed its employees to turn on their work computers and printers for the first time on Wednesday , although officials warned that some computers may still be affected . In a ransomware attack, Attack.Ransom hackers place malware on a computer — or system of computers — that restricts access , and then d emand payment Attack.Ransom to undo it . The culprits h ave demanded Attack.Ransom the city of Atlanta p ay Attack.Ransom them $ 51,000 in bitcoin to unlock the government 's encrypted systems . Bottoms would not say whether the city would meet their request . Atlanta officials — along with local law enforcement , the FBI , the Department of Homeland Security , and Secret Service — are said to be working round-the-clock on the matter to investigate whether any government data or anybody 's personal information w as compromised. Attack.Databreach An information portal has been set up on the city government 's website to keep residents and employees updated on the latest developments of the hack . Officials from Atlanta Information Management , the city 's technology department , realized the city had been attacked on March 22 . As a result , officials said , `` some city data is encrypted and customers are not able to access city applications . '' This has mostly prevented people from using online applications to pay bills and access court-related information . Although Atlanta officials have not yet identified those behind the attack , an Atlanta-based security firm called Dell SecureWorks , which is helping the city investigate the attack , pointed to a group called SamSam , according to The New York Times . It is not clear who is part of the group or where it is based . On Monday , Mayor Bottoms held a news conference to reassure the public that the city was doing everything in its power to restore its systems , but cautioned people against taking the matter lightly . `` I just want to make the point that this is much bigger than a ransomware attack, Attack.Ransom `` Bottoms said . `` This is really an attack on our government , which means it 's an attack on all of us . ''