BALTIMORE (AP) - A new audit says Baltimore’s information technology department lost key data during May’s ransomware attack because some of the agency’s workers stored files on their individual computers rather than an external cloud system.

The Baltimore Sun reports the city’s top watchdog said many employees store important information only on their own computers rather than backing up the data using cloud storage as recommended.

Former government IT auditor and City Councilman Eric Costello called the finding “mind-boggling” for a city agency that should be urging other departments to modernize.

Baltimore’s IT director Frank Johnson responded to the audit by promising to improve the department’s data storage practices.

Hackers in May demanded about $76,000 in ransom after freezing key computer systems. The city refused, but recovery has cost at least $18 million.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com

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