San Bernardino County pays $1.1M ransom to hackers who breached Sheriff’s Department

San Bernardino County officials have revealed that they paid hackers a $1.1 million ransom after their computer systems were breached in a cyberattack. The attack, which targeted the Sheriff's Department, disrupted certain systems and hindered crucial tasks such as background checks for criminal suspects.

A spokesperson for the county said insurance covered more than half of the ransom, and the decision to pay the remaining amount was made after "careful consideration." San Bernardino paid out $511,852 in total.

Cybersecurity experts warn that paying ransoms encourages more attacks, and the sophistication of these attacks is increasing.

"It's not a matter of if it can happen, it's when it's going to happen," said Martin Flores, a cybersecurity professor at College of the Desert, which paid more than $1 million to hackers in a similar attack in 2020.

Phishing attacks, such as the one that is believed to have led to the San Bernardino County breach, are becoming more common. Rancho Mirage-based cybersecurity expert Jim McFarlin warned that preparedness is the best defense against these attacks. "We're all at risk, and we all just have to pay a lot more attention than we used to," McFarlin said.

Although the county claims that public safety was not compromised, it is unclear if any information was stolen. A criminal investigation is ongoing.