Minnesota County Paid $128K Ransom to Restore Services

Source: Government Technology Winona County paid ransomware attackers nearly $130,000 to restore services in the first of two separate hacking events earlier this year.

The payment was completed with the assistance of the county’s insurance carrier, according to county officials, and was negotiated “to ensure a full and efficient resumption of County services and protection of personal information.”

The payment resolved a cyber attack that affected numerous county systems earlier this year. The county stated in a press release its decision to make the payment came after “careful consideration and guidance from our cybersecurity team.” People known to have been impacted by the attack, which was first discovered on the county’s computer network Jan. 22, were notified in May.

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