FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2026 48° E  /  GLOBAL TECH · SUMMARISED SUBSCRIBE
AI, business, devices, policy — global tech, summarised every 30 minutes.
Security · 3h ago

US County Paid $1M Ransom to Cybercriminals, Leaked Chats Show

By Meridian48 News Desk · Summarised from The Register ·

An unnamed US county, likely in Ohio, paid a $1 million ransom to cybercriminals after a breach, according to leaked negotiation logs. The payment was made to restore encrypted systems and prevent data leaks. The incident highlights the growing pressure on local governments to pay ransoms despite FBI advice against it.

Meridian48 take
The leak reveals the messy reality of ransomware negotiations, where public agencies often pay under duress, undermining no-payment policies.
Read the full reporting
An unnamed US county – perhaps in Ohio – paid $1M extortion demand to cybercriminals →
The Register
ransomwarelocal-government
More security briefs
Go deeper on security
AllAIStartupsBusinessDevicesPolicySecurityDev ToolsPakistan