US police pays Bitcoin ransom for encrypted files

Computers in several Maine police departments have been infected with a type of virus called Megacode ransomware. It locked up important files and held police records hostage.

Initially only machines at the Lincoln County sheriff's office were affected after someone has accidentally downloaded a virus. However, four towns in the County were connected through the intranet computer network to share files and records, and the virus quickly spread, encrypting all the records on the special network.

Hackers who created the ransomware demanded roughly $300 in bitcoins to release the files. Police agencies were forced to pay a ransom to get their police records back. After the payment was made, the hackers provided a code that unlocked and restored the network's files.

The FBI tried to track the hackers after the payment was made but it only led them to a Swiss bank account.

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