US police were forced to pay a ransom in bitcoin after being infected by malware which locked their files.
The Massachusetts force’s data was encrypted by the Cryptolocker ransomware, a new and sophisticated virus which infects computers by posing as an innocuous-appearing email attachment like an invoice or transaction details needing to be queried.
Once opened, the malware infects the computer before encrypting the hard drive, after which a countdown timer appears demanding payment of two bitcoins, which currently equates to £832.
The digital currency is considered nearly as anonymous as cash, and is used by online drug marketplace Silk Road to fund transactions.
Swansea Police Lt Gregory Ryan told Herald News: [The virus] is so complicated and successful that you have to buy these bitcoins, which we had never heard of.
"It was an education."
The force said it is now clear of the malware, and that no data was stolen.
The UK’s National Crime Agency put out a warning about the virus on November 15, warning SMBs that emails appearing to come from banks or financial institutions could possibly be the disguised ransomware.
Any infected computer should be immediately disconnected from any networks.
