Columbia Surgical Specialists pays hackers $14K in ransomware attack

Modern Healthcare: Physician owners at Columbia Surgical Specialists paid hackers more than $14,000 to regain access to patient data in January, according to a notice the medical practice posted Thursday.

Spokane, Wash.-based Columbia Surgical Specialists said it learned of the ransomware attack Jan. 9, a few hours before several patients were scheduled for surgery. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim's computer files, which hackers offer to decrypt in exchange for a ransom payment.

Read article