By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – Government entities at all levels in Illinois are hoping that training people not to click on suspicious links can cut down on the number of ransomware attacks.

The State of Illinois got hit with ransomware 120 times last year.

Ransomware is the latest cyber-threat. It usually works like this: Someone sends an email or creates a fake webpage with an infected link. Once a government employee clicks on that link, a virus then seizes government files. Often, the hackers demand money to un-encrypt the files.

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology’s Kirk Lonbom said ransomware costs governments across Illinois – not in money, but time.

“We don’t pay ransom, so everyone needs to know we don’t pay ransom for ransomware,” Lonbom said. “But it does take time.”

The City of Decatur got hit with ransomware late last year. City Management Information Systems Director Jim Edwards said local governments are sometimes more vulnerable because of how many employees have access to information.

“We try to keep our things as simple as we can, but sometime that simplicity can open up a large attack angle for these folks,” Edwards said.

Both Edwards and Lonbom said the best defense against ransomware is to make sure government workers know not to click on suspicious links.

Lonbom said Illinois is just starting to train 50,000 state workers on ransomware threats.