Last week, all of Licking County's government offices were completely shut down by ransomware, a type of malicious software created to obstruct access to an online network until the victims cough up a certain amount of cash. The ransomware even shut down the network of the county's police force. Licking is the third-largest county in Ohio by area. It has a population of more than 166,000 people. "It바카라 게임 웹사이트�s their call to decide if we can get this resolved ourselves,바카라 게임 웹사이트� County Commissioner Tim Bubb said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트�That decision has not been made and is not our call at this point. We're dealing with a criminal element. It's a crime against the people of Licking County and its government." Ransomware operates like many other types of malicious software. It usually enters an organization's network through a downloaded file in a phony email or firewall vulnerability. The program then delivers its payload (active malware), which locks the system until the ransom is paid. Bubb didn't confirm whether or not the cyber thieves would be paid, nor the amount demanded. The county's offices remained open, but employees still didn't have access to telephones or the internet as of Sunday. Even 911 dispatch workers operated without phones or computers. Last October, a similar campaign targeted more than 17,000 voters in Ohio's Henry County - hacking their names, addresses, driver's licenses and phone numbers.