The University of Calgary in Canada paid bitcoins worth 20k Canadian dollars to ransomware hackers in order to restore access to data after hundreds of its computers were attacked.

The university was unable to unwind the damage caused by the malware as it caused e-mails and other files to get encrypted. The university was attacked by ransomware last month and over 100 computers were affected.

According to a message from Linda Dalgetty, vice president of the university in the website, she mentioned that “The expertise of our IT department allowed the university to isolate the effects of the attack and make significant progress towards restoration of the affected portions of our systems.”

She continued saying, “As part of efforts to maintain all options to address these systems issues, the university has paid a ransom totaling about $20,000 CDN that was demanded as part of this ‘ransomware’ attack.  A ransomware attack involves an unknown cyber attacker locking or encrypting computers or computer networks until a ransom is paid, and when it is, keys, or methods of decryption, are provided. Ransomware attacks and the payment of ransoms are becoming increasingly common around the world. The university is now in the process of assessing and evaluating the decryption keys.”

The local police force has been investigating over this attack. Dalgetty continued mentioning, “The University is working with various experts in this field, and because this was a criminal act, the Calgary Police Service has been brought in as part of the investigation.”

According to BBC, in the same week of the attack, Intel had warned about the ransomware infections which are spreading at ‘alarming rate’.  Previously, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center was attached by the malware and paid $17,000 to restore access to its system and similar attack was witnessed by Melrose Police Department in Massachusetts and paid $450.