Canadian university buckles and pays $20k in bitcoin to hackers

The University of Calgary in Canada has paid just over $15,000 (CAD $20,000) to restore access to its computer systems following a ransomware attack.

Ransomware typically, as its name would suggest, prevents a victim from acessing their files and other services until demands had been met. In this case, that meant paying $15,000 to restore access to emails and other files.

It’s not the first time a company or organization has caved in and paid a ransomware demand -a hospital in the US paid $17,000 in bitcoin – but you have to wonder if making it public is a smart move.

Being seen as a ‘soft target’ will surely  invite further attacks and demands for payment, as has also been the case with that hospital.

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With the prevelance of malware increasing, according to Intel this week, the importance of backup and failsafe systems is paramount for hospitals and universities.