A town in Florida has paid $ hackers $500,000 (£394,000) in Bitcoin after suffering downed computer systems attack for two weeks.
Workers were locked out of email accounts and members of the public were left unable to make municipal payments online.
“I would have never dreamed this could have happened, especially in a small town like this,” mayor Stephen Witt told local media.
Insurance would cover the vast majority of the ransom payment, he added, although $10,000 would be incurred by taxpayers.