NEWS

Ransom demand with county cyber attack about $30,000

Kent Mallett
Reporter
  • The ransom demanded of Licking County government to recover its computer files, was 28 bitcoins.
  • One bitcoin was valued at $1,234.98, as of 4 p.m. Monday, which would have made the demand 34,579.

NEWARK – The ransom demanded of Licking County government, on Jan. 31, to recover its computer files, was 28 bitcoins, valued at $34,579, as of Monday.

The Advocate sought the ransom demand amount with a public records request of the Licking County Commissioners. Licking County Prosecutor Bill Hayes provided The Advocate the information Monday. A bitcoin is an electronic payment system.

A computer virus discovered Jan. 31 caused Licking County government to shut down about 1,000 computers and its phone systems to prevent the virus from spreading, protect data and preserve evidence. The FBI and Bureau of Criminal Investigation were notified.

County officials chose not to pay the ransom, and recovered data from its backups. By Feb. 16, most of the county system was back in service.

Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb said the price per bitcoin was about $1,100 when the computers were hacked, making the demand about $30,000. As of 4 p.m. Monday, the value of one bitcoin was $1,235.

The computer hack cost the county more than $50,000, Bubb said, which includes insurance and overtime, but he does not regret refusing to pay the demand.

"I'm just kind of hard-nosed about that," Bubb said. "I feel we were violated by people with criminal intent, and we don't owe them anything."

Bubb said people have asked him why the county didn't just pay the demand, but Bubb said it may not have been that simple.

"We were told so many horror stories," Bubb said. "There was no guarantee that would have been the final price, or that they would have acted honorably. There's a certain amount of unknown that would make you uneasy."

Sylint, a cyber security firm assisting the county, was set to notify the state that the county's computer system was virus-free, Bubb said. The state asked for the assurance before it hooked back up with the county.

Bubb and Darrin Baldinelli, the county's information technology director, will speak about the cyber attcack on March 22 at CORSA's annual insurance renewal meeting. About 66 Ohio counties are served by CORSA.

kmallett@newark

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740-328-8545

Twitter: @kmallett1958