Ransomware appears to be the latest trend in cyberattacks, with attacks being reported across industries from healthcare to news websites.
Here are eight ransomware attacks reported so far in 2016.
1. Methodist Hospital in Henderson, Ky., declared an internal emergency after suffering a ransomware attack. The ransomware locked patient files, and the hospital has yet to determine if it will pay the ransom.
2. At least 10 major websites including The New York Times, BBC, AOL, NFL and Newsweek were hit with ransomware through their advertisements. Malware targeted the advertisements on these websites, and people who clicked on one of these malicious advertisements were redirected to a page that tried to infect their computer.
3. Four computers at Ottawa Hospital in Canada suffered a ransomware attack, leaving the computers inaccessible to hospital administrators. This particular ransomware was embedded in an attachment in a spam email, which a user opened and allowed the malware to encrypt computer data.
4. Apple users may have experienced a ransomware attack against its computers after bad actors inserted malware in a version of Transmission, a program often used for transferring data on sharing networks like torrent sites. This is the first known ransomware attack on Apple's Macintosh computers.
5. The Los Angeles County health department noticed traces of ransomware on five computers, which was the first cyberattack of its kind against the health department. The department said operations were not affected by the malicious software.
6. Hollywood (Calif.) Presbyterian Medical Center suffered a ransomware attack Feb. 5 which rendered the hospital's IT systems and medical records inaccessible. The hospital eventually paid the requested ransom of 40 Bitcoins, which is equivalent to roughly $17,000.
7. Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas, was hit with a ransomware attack that blocked access to computer files. The hospital learned of the attack Jan. 15, and by Jan. 20, the hospital was still working to rid the computer of the ransomware virus.
8. Two hospitals in Germany were victims of ransomware campaigns in February, though it is unknown if the attacks are related. For at least three weeks, Lukas Hospital in Neuss, Germany, did not have email access, and was conducting business as usual using pencils, paper and fax machines. Klinikum Arnsberg hospital in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is the other hospital that was affected.
More articles on ransomware:
3 things to know about ransomware
Malware, hacking attacks double over the past year: 3 things to know
What hospitals can learn from Hollywood Presbyterian's ransomware run-in