Hackers who gained control of Pottawatomie County computers Sept. 17 demanded a ransom of $1 million, according to County Administrator Chad Kinsley, who released the information Monday afternoon, though the county ultimately paid far less than that. “Following a successful negotiation, the ransom paid included $71,250 to the threat actor and $356.25 in exchange fees to facilitate the cyber currency payment,” he said in the prepared statement. “This was paid from the general fund, and a substantial portion will be refunded by our self-insurance pool.” The statement also noted the county spent $5,000 to purchase the enhanced decryption software needed to unlock the files the hackers had encrypted.
Source: themercury.com
