With victims refusing to pay, cybercriminal gangs are now releasing stolen photos of cancer patients and sensitive student records.

Ransomware is a form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable. Malicious actors then demand ransom in exchange for decryption.

IN FEBRUARY, ATTACKERS from the Russia-based BlackCat ransomware group hit a physician practice in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, that’s part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN).

At the time, LVHN said that the attack “involved” a patient photo system related to radiation oncology treatment. The health care group said that BlackCat had issued a ransom demand, “but LVHN refused to pay this criminal enterprise.”