School gets cyberransom back ... with interest

THE HAGUE—The Dutch Maastricht University that fell victim to a ransomware attack in 2019 has partly received back its stolen money ... which in the meantime more than doubled in value, a news report said on Saturday. The criminals used a type of malicious software that locks valuable data and can only be accessed once the victim pays a ransom amount. “The criminals had encrypted hundreds of Windows servers and backup systems, preventing 25,000 students and employees from accessing scientific data, library and mail,” the daily De Volkskrant said. The hackers demanded 200,000 euros ($208,000) in bitcoins, which the school paid. Dutch police traced 40,000 of the ransom paid to an account belonging to a money launderer in Ukraine and seized the bitcoins in 2020. After more than two years, the value of the bitcoins has increased from 40,000 euros to half a million euros ($521,000), a report said.