Ransomware Infected Dozens Of Computers Caregiver

A US healthcare end of last year the victim of ransomware, which files were encrypted on nearly 30 computers. Jeff Salter, Director of the Caring Senior Service, thought to be well prepared and had most of the files backed up and which could restore that.

From one machine lacked a backup. On the computer was the marketing material for 55 locations are franchised. Salter decided ransom of $ 500 then pay to recover those files. "It had cost us $ 50,000 to make everything again", he compared know the Associated Press. "It would have been a serious blow if we had lost the material." This week it was announced that an American police station that was hit by ransomware also the ransom had been paid.

American Police Pay Again For Ransom Ransomware

Again there is an American police by ransomware became infected and was forced to pay the ransom of hundreds of dollars. This time it was a police station in the town of Tewksbury in Massachusetts. In December the police system showed a warning that all files were encrypted and $ 500 to be paid to recover the files.

Because of the infection, the police had problems to request the arrest and incident records, as well as any other information that is only now through the Tewksbury Town Crier known. In total, the system was four to five days from the air. Via the computer was first infected knew the ransomware also encrypt all kinds of connected network folders and shared drives. The police did have a backup of the files, but that turned out to be corrupt.

The most recent backup that did work was 18 months old and insufficient to restore all lost data. Eventually decided to pay the police station and were all encrypted files are decrypted. "Nobody wants to negotiate with terrorists. No one wants to pay terrorists," said Police Chief Timothy Sheehan. "We have done everything possible." The agency Tewksbury is known thefourth police station after a ransomware-infection to pay rang.

American Police Pay $ 600 To Ransomware

An American police has cybercriminals paid $ 600 after a police computer became infected with ransomware. "Not everything was encrypted at the police station, it was only for that specific computer and files," said Calvin Harden, an IT provider who works with the city.

Harden notes that the cybercriminals have not stolen the information, but only acted encryptions. According to the Chicago Tribune ran the computer infected by someone at the police opened an infected email attachment. All files were then encrypted and there appeared a message that an amount was to be paid in bitcoins to recover the files. The police eventually made ​​$ 606.

"Because the backups were also infected the decision was made ​​to pay the hacker and the files to recover," Harden furthermore states. It is not the first time that an American police station in the news because of ransomware. In 2013 it was a police station in the state of Massachusetts who proceeded to pay, followed by police stations in Dickson County and Durham who were the victims of ransomware.

British Teenager Commits Suicide Because Of Ransomware

A 17-year-old British teenager committed suicide last year after his laptop was infected with ransomware.The malware showed a message that was supposedly from the British police and stated that the boy, who suffered from autism, banned websites and images had been viewed. The message went on to say that he had to pay 100 pounds to be prosecuted and regain access to his laptop.

"Joseph was the victim of an Internet scam", as his mother said in a statement. "He has probably taken literally because of his autism and did not want Georgia or I would be worried." The coroner made during a hearing about the incident that the boy's autism may have ensured that he took seriously the ransomware message.

"The Internet is a wonderful thing, but it can also be dangerous and I want parents to make sure their children know that this kind of scams out there, and especially in autistic children because they do not understand," said the mother , reports the Daily Telegraph . Last year was also a Romanian man have committed suicide because of ransomware. Recently, for the deceased boy a special Facebook page opened.