Cybersecurity
Hardly Anyone Paying the Hackers? Because Using Bitcoin Is Hard
- Deadlines for paying the ransom are beginning to pass
- Only an estimated $50,000 had been paid as of early Monday
Tracking Ransomware's Monetary Toll on Businesses
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An unprecedented cyberattack swept across the globe over the weekend, but so far the majority of victims haven’t paid hackers a ransom.
After the ransomware began infecting users on Friday, they were given 72 hours to pay $300 in bitcoin -- chosen by the hackers because the crypto currency is harder to track than conventional payments -- or pay twice as much. If they refused to pay after seven days, their computer would be permanently locked -- a serious problem for those who haven’t backed up their data.