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Arkansas sheriff's office pays ransom after computer system hit by hackers

by The Associated Press | December 13, 2016 at 7:48 a.m.

BERRYVILLE — Officials with a sheriff's office in northern Arkansas say they paid a ransom after their computer system was hacked earlier this month.

Carroll County sheriff's office Lt. Daniel Klatt says the department's system was hit Dec. 5 with ransomware, which typically works by encrypting files until the victim pays the hackers, often in the electronic currency bitcoin.

Klatt says the department paid three bitcoin — or about $2,400 — to unlock the computer system. According to the Harrison Daily Times, the hackers encrypted the department's management system, which holds reports, bookings and other day-to-day operational data.

Klatt says none of the data was stolen and that the county's computer system was back up on Monday.

Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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