two bitcoins—currently worth about $ 25,000—to hackers who are holding the county ’ s computer files for ransomAttack.Ransom, [ Update : they refused to payAttack.Ransom] . The situation is the latest example of cyber criminals deployingAttack.Ransoma form of software known as ransomware , which freezes up files on a computer network until someone enters a decryption code to unlock them . Typically , the code can only be obtained by payingAttack.Ransomthe hackers . An official for the county , which encompasses the city of Charlotte , said the ransomware was triggered when an employee clicked on an email attachment , and that it is wrecking havoc with daily operations : “ She said an example of the problem is the county ’ s code enforcement office , where much of the work is done electronically . Employees no longer have access to their records . But she said they are switching to paper records for work on Wednesday , ” according to the Charlotte Observer . The official also explained that the county faces a dilemma in deciding whether to payAttack.Ransom. While paying the ransomAttack.Ransommay be the only way to obtain the decryption key , there is no guarantee the hackers will honor their commitment and provide the key . The anonymous hackers do not appear to have targeted Mecklenburg county in particular , but rather the official thinks the attack was launched as part of a broader money-making scheme involving ransomware . Similar attacks , which typically exploit old Microsoft software , struck millions of computers in two separate waves earlier this year , affecting everything from businesses to governments to hospitals . While most of the incidents occurred in Europe and Asia , U.S. organizations were hit too—including a transit system in Sacramento , Calif. and a hospital in Los Angeles .