Cyber Ransomware On The Rise Amid The Pandemic, Officials Say

Cases of cyber ransomware have been on the rise during the pandemic. Cybercriminals are targeting hospitals, city offices, businesses and schools with vulnerable remote learning environments.

Hackers have hit school districts in Alabama, Maryland, Connecticut, and others with ransomware attacks, locking down entire computer networks. The attackers then demand money to restore access.

Criminals often send a fake email to employees with a link and clicking on it downloads malware and allows hackers into the network.

Scott Schober, CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems, said, "and now the cybercriminal works laterally through the computer networks to then find the target machines or machines and then encrypt the data and send them the ransom note."

According to security experts, it is vital for every hospital and business to have a strong network backup system to thwart ransomware attacks.