Hackers hold Jackson County computers ransom for undisclosed amount of bitcoin
EDNA -- Pen and paper have made a resurgence in Jackson County offices as hackers continue to hold their computers and digital records hostage in lieu of a ransom.
“We are still working even if it’s with pen and paper,” said County Judge Jill Sklar.
Tuesday morning, county officials discovered hackers had successfully penetrated their computers and internal network belonging to the county sheriff, district attorney, district clerk and other offices after a Jackson County dispatcher found she could not access some data on her computer.
When county officials sent an email to an address provided by the malicious program to ask that access be returned, the hackers refused and instead demanded a ransom payment for the hostage computers and their data, Sklar said. Access to the county’s computers was probably gained, she said, through phishing, a method in which hackers gain access by sending seemingly legitimate emails.
Read more: https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/counties/jackson/hackers-hold-jackson-county-computers-ransom-for-undisclosed-amount-of/article_046e6d1e-8316-11e9-97be-b70449000d28.html