A state of emergency has been declared in Louisiana as numerous municipal governments are being struck by crippling ransomware infections (archived). Local government organs have found themselves being stuck since the ransomware phenomenon was in its infancy, but it appears ransomware artists are increasingly favoring local governments as targets due to the fact they that they pay. More often than not they pay because they can't imagine not paying, and for as long as it lasts an insurance policy will reimburse them.

Failures to pay tend to be limited to openly dysfunctional municipal governments like Detroit and Baltimore. Suburbs and other municipalities that desperately want to put on their appearance of functioning well despite their obvious failures in technological hygiene. This avenue of capital flow out of the fiat system is likely to continue intensifying until the fiat side system enabling it breaks.