Maastricht University was completely paralyzed by criminal hackers on December 23, 2019. They have encrypted hundreds of Windows servers and backup systems. As a result, the 25,000 students and staff no longer have access to their scientific data, library, and email.
Hackers have demanded €200,000 in bitcoins as ransom to end the case of virtual hostages. A week later the university decided to comply with the demands of the criminal gang. This was in part because personal data was at risk of being lost and students were unable to take an exam or work on their thesis.
The price of bitcoin at that time was about 7,500 US dollars (about 6,750 euros). Since then, the value of the cryptocurrency has skyrocketed. In November of last year, bitcoin reached a temporary high of about $68,500 (about $60,300). Although bitcoin has lost its value in recent months, the most popular cryptocurrency still costs more than $19,000 (18,200 euros). Much more than what the university paid for bitcoin in 2019.
A police cybercrime team in the Dutch province of Limburg has tracked down part of the ransom paid. This was sent to a Ukrainian money launderer’s account. This man was interrogated by the police and the Public Prosecution Office of Ukraine last year.
The investigation of the hackers responsible for the attack on the university continues.
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