Very, very occasionally a ransomware attack has a happy ending! However do you need training in cyber security planning?

In December 2019, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, decided to pay the ransom, of €200,000 at the time, to release the data of over 22,00 students, the academics and the university administration.

Maastricht University wound up earning money from its ransom payment (bleepingcomputer.com)

Since then the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service has seized a cryptocurrency wallet containing the cryptocurrency paid by the university as ransom in 2019, and with the increase in value of Bitcoin since then, the ransom is now worth over €500,000. The prosecutor’s office is making arrangements for the ransom to be returned to the university. However the apparent profit does not make up for the costs, inconvenience and embarrassment of the original cyber attack.

Whatever size of organisation you are, you need a cyber security plan. If you do not have one we have a Master Class coming up, ideal for small businesses who need to know where to start. If this is not what you are looking for, or you are a bigger organisation, we have other cyber security services – here.

Business cyber security – Masterclass

Further Reading

NCSC and the ICO say – Don’t pay the malware ransom

Please Note:

I am on leave so the news this week is “in brief”. You can still contact me via the contact page and Octagon Technology.