Indiana county to pay ransom after computer system attack

ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) - County commissioners in central Indiana say they'll pay a ransom to an unknown group that hacked its computer system.

Madison County Commissioner John Richwine tells The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin (http://bit.ly/2ewQPCs) that the county is following the advice of its insurance carrier. The attack has left police, fire and other government staff locked out of their computers.

Officials say Friday's attack didn't affect the county's voting records and ballots because they are housed on a separate system.

Richwine didn't give an amount of the ransom but said it was less than many residents would anticipate. He says no records are lost but officials "can't access the data." Richwine says the county was preparing to upgrade anti-virus software when the attack occurred.

The county is about 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

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Information from: The Herald Bulletin, http://www.theheraldbulletin.com