National Public Radio and other news outlets are reporting that a Los Angeles-area hospital recently paid a $17,000 ransom (in the form of 40 bitcoins) to hackers to unencrypt its computer networks, which had been held hostage after “ransomware” was introduced into the hospital’s network. Ransomware is a form of malicious software, or “malware,” that encrypts information or aspects of an organization’s computer network, preventing authorized users from accessing it. Persons maliciously cause the ransomware to be placed on the network, then demand money in exchange for an encryption key to unlock the network. It is not difficult to see the tremendous economic losses and liability risks of a ransomware attack, in particular to a medical facility treating vulnerable patients.
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