Florida city pays $600.000 ransom to save computer records
Florida city agreed to pay $600,000 in ransom to hackers who took over its computer system.
The Riviera Beach City Council voted unanimously this week to pay the hackers’ demands, believing the Palm Beach suburb had no choice if it wanted to retrieve its records, which the hackers encrypted. The council already voted to spend almost $1 million on new computers and hardware after hackers captured the city’s system three weeks ago.
The hackers apparently got into the city’s system when an employee clicked on an email link that allowed them to upload malware.
Spokeswoman Rose Anne Brown said Wednesday that the city of 35 000 residents has been working with security consultants, who recommended the ransom be paid.
I am one of the editors here at www.systemtek.co.uk I am a UK based technology professional, with an interest in computer security and telecoms.