Ransomware: New Hacking Trend

Rebecca Braito

Ransomware is a trend that has been rising over the past years. It involves companies being extorted for money and their data being held hostage by hackers. Companies such as Apple and Medstar have fallen victim to ransomware. It wasn’t until a few North Carolina schools fell victim and decided to come forward to spread awareness. (CNN)

            The first thing that this current event points out that is important to recognize is that right now, paying the ransom amount to these hackers is all these victims can really do in order to get their data back. In the Horry County North Carolina schools, they didn’t have the time to wait to restore their computers and wound up having to pay the ransom amount. (CNN) In an situation that took place in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, the town’s officials decided to pay the ransom rather than spending the time trying to unlock their own system. (Reuters)

            Another thing this news report points out how these cyber attacks, such as the one that took place at Med Star Hospital in the D.C. area resulted in these establishments having to resort to doing business on pen and paper for a while. “We can’t do anything at all. There’s only one system we use, and now it’s just paper” said by a MedStar employee referring to the attacks. (CBS News) It’s incredible that it’s so difficult for the F.B.I. and the police to find these hackers that companies such as MedStar have to use paper.  Finally, the article discussed how the Horry County Schools were the first group to, publically, come forward about these attacks. Many companies were too afraid to come forward in fear of hurting their reputations. It is important for people to be made known so that they can be more cautious.

            There were a few points that the news report didn’t touch upon too much that were important. First, these kidnappers now continue to run free and are unstoppable. This quote from the news report is important to stress to emphasize how important it is for people to be cautious. Second, these hackers are getting into your computer accidentally on our parts. These virus’ can come through form of email and look like a friend is sending a file. “You innocently don’t read through the email thoroughly and click it. Now, you are infected”- Quote from the News Report. This, again, is important to know considering we get tons of emails a day. Make sure to be aware where emails are coming from.

            Finally, the article talks about a currency called BitCoin or “BTC”. This is a form of payment online that is untraceable that these hackers are using to transfer their money. I think its crazy that the FBI and police have not found a way to track where they are coming from. “Hackers often demand payment through bitcoin, a digital currency often used by individuals engaging in illegal activity on the Internet.” (Chicago Tribune)

 Works Cited:

Griffin, Drew. CNN Tech. “What one school did when hackers held it’s data hostage” News Broadcast. 2016.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/04/04/cyber-criminals-ransomware-extort-money-drew-griffin-lead-dnt.cnn

Finkle, Jim, Reuters. “Ransomware: Extortionist hackers borrow customer-service tactics” 2016. Article.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-ransomware-idUSKCN0X917X

The Associated Press, CBS News. “Hack on D.C.-area hospital chain reverts them to paper” 2016. Article

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paralyzing-hack-dc-medstar-reverts-them-to-paper/

Pratt, Gregory, Chicago Tribune “Midlothian cops pay ransom to retrieve data from hacker”. Article. 2015

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-midlothian-hacker-ransom-met-20150220-story.html