Security News > 2020 > March > New Mexico Agencies on Edge Amid Rising Ransomware Attacks
New Mexico school districts, universities, and government agencies have collectively spent millions of dollars to regain control of their computer systems after employees unknowingly opened emails containing an encrypted code that effectively shut them out of their systems.
The ransomware attacks occurred between January 2018 and February 2020, and have put school districts and agencies on edge amid warnings of more technology terror, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
The FBI investigates ransomware attacks because it's a federal crime involving international wire fraud, as well as a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
The ransomware attacks to the New Mexico entities were of the lockout-only kind and none of the victims reported data or confidential information being compromised.
According to Adkins, the number of ransomware attacks is growing nationally.
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