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1、The Most Vulnerable Ransomware Targets Are the Institutions We Rely On Most面对勒索软件攻击，我们最依赖的公共机构不堪一击Many vital public institutions such as hospitals and fire stations lack cybersecurity to ward off popular malware包括医院、消防局在内的许多重要的公共机构缺乏网络安全，难以抵御流行的恶意软件攻击。Earlier this month a Los Angeles hospital became
2、 yet another victim of ransomwarea type of cyber attack where hackers encrypt data on individuals or institutions computers and demand a ransom to unlock the information. A few weeks later the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services reportedly suffered a similar fate. These are just two cas
3、es in a rising tide of ransomware hacks, and experts predict the problem is only going to get worse. Unfortunately, it turns out that some of easiest ransomware attack targets are the critical establishments that we rely on most.本月早些时候洛杉矶的一家医院成为迄今为止另一个勒索软件的受害者。勒索软件是一种网络攻击，黑客们对私人或公共机构的电脑数据进行加密，索要赎金后才
4、将信息解密。据称，仅仅几周之后，洛杉矶卫生服务局也遭受到了类似的网络攻击。在众多勒索软件攻击案件中，这两起事件只是冰山一角，专家预测这一问题将持续恶化。而调查显示最容易受到勒索软件攻击的目标中就包括我们最依赖的一些重要公共机构。Many vital public institutions such as hospitals, police stations and fire stations typically do not have the most sophisticated cybersecurity, and they are perhaps the most vulnerable o
5、f all in ransomware attacks. This is not because public institutions are more exposed to these attacks than, say, restaurants or dentiststhe problem is that there is more at stake for everyone when these institutions become victims.许多重要的公共机构，例如医院、警局和消防局通常都不具有尖端的网络安全防护，因此它们面临勒索软件的攻击显得不堪一击。相较于餐厅或牙科诊所来
6、说，或许这些公共机构会面临更多的网络攻击，但真正的问题在于一旦这些公共机构成为网络攻击的受害者，所有人的信息安全都会受到很大的威胁。Ransomware has been around since the late 1980s, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular with cyber criminals, especially since the creation of bitcoin in 2009 gave hackers an easy way to get paid anonymously. In 2014 r
7、ansomware attacks rose 113 percent compared with the previous year, and 2015 estimates also show rapid growth, says Kevin Haley, director of Symantec Security Response. Ransomware 勒索软件出现于二十世纪八十年代后期，近几年来网络犯罪增多，勒索软件也日益流行，主要原因是 2009 年比特币的出现使得网络黑客可以轻易的匿名获取非法利益。赛门铁克公司安全应急部门主任凯文哈里表示，2014 年勒索软件攻击案件比 2013年增
8、长 113%，预计在 2015 年会持续快速增长。使用勒索软件的黑客会诱使受害者访问已经被病毒感染的网站或下载附件，然后对受害者的个人信息进行加密。黑客hackers trick victims into visiting an infected Web site or downloading an attachment and then encrypt their data. Hackers post a ransom note on a users screen; if the victim does not pay within a certain amount of time, the
9、ir data is lost forever.会向受害者的电脑发送一封勒索信，如果受害者没有在指定时间内支付赎金，他们的信息就会永远消失。Criminals like ransomware because it works. “This software is very effective at getting money out of people,” explains Justin Cappos, a computer security expert at New York University. The hackers usually demand fairly small payme
10、nt of a few hundred dollars, so they tend to fly under law enforcements radar. But they target so many people that they can take in millions. “Its a volume business, like McDonalds,” explains Phil Lieberman, founder of Lieberman Software and a cybersecurity expert. Although ransomware attacks are mo
11、stly random, researchers say that cybercriminals have found a “sweet spot” of $10,000 when they specifically target businessesa big sum, but still low enough that it will not attract too much attention from law enforcement.勒索软件深受网络罪犯的喜爱因为它确有奇效。 “这类软件能够顺利的让受害者掏钱，”纽约大学的网络安全专家贾斯汀卡波斯解释道。黑客们通常只索要相对来说小额的赎
12、金（可能只有几百美元） ，这样他们就可以躲过执法部门的监管。但是他们的攻击目标众多，因此获益十分丰厚。 “这是个薄利多销的行当，就像麦当劳一样， ”网络安全专家以及利伯曼软件公司创始人菲力利伯曼解释道。虽然勒索软件的攻击大部分是随机的，但调查人员声称网络罪犯们已经发现当他们针对性的攻击商业目标时会尝到 10000 美元的“甜头” ，这笔钱数额已经很大了，但仍不足以引起执法部门的过多关注。Some groups are prepared to deal with this threat. Tech companies, financial firms and certain government
13、 agencies tend to have to have sophisticated cybersecurity to help them fend off attacks and recover quickly when they happen. But small and midsize businesses, including mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, dentists and attorneys are typically less well protected, as are crucial public institutions.一些组织
14、团体正准备解决这一问题。技术公司、金融公司以及一些政府机构有意采取尖端的网络安全措施以帮助他们抵御网络攻击并在攻击发生后快速恢复。但是中小型的企业，包括家庭经营的商店、饭店、牙科诊所以及律师事务所等都缺乏保护，重要的公共机构也是如此。Many police stations, for example, have had their data held hostage by hackers. In 2013 ransomware struck the Swansea Police Department in Massachusetts and encrypted its main file se
15、rver, locking up important administrative and investigative 许多警局的信息都被黑客们攻击并加密。2013 年勒索软件攻击了马萨诸塞州斯温西警局，黑客们对该警局电脑的主要文件服务器进行加密，使得重要的行政公文、调查文件以及搜集七年之久的面部照片等信息都无法获取。警局支付了 750 美元才使documents as well as seven years of mug shots. The department paid $750 to get its data back. Similar attacks were launched on
16、 police stations from Tennessee to Maine to Chicago. Fire departments have also been victims of ransomware. In 2015 a Maryland fire department reportedly had to shut down its computerized dispatch center and record everything on paper because of an attack. Ransomware is especially troublesome for these kinds of institutions because they absolutely need to get that critical data back to continue operating.所有数据失而复得。类似的网络攻击也相继发生在田纳西州、缅因州以及芝加哥的警局。消防局也是勒索软件的受害者。据称，2015 年马里兰州消防局遭受网
