"The reports of the hospital paying 9000 Bitcoins or $3.4 million are false. The amount of ransom requested was 40 Bitcoins, equivalent to approximately $17,000," Hollywood Presbyterian wrote in a statement at the time. "The quickest and most efficient way to restore our systems and administrative functions was to pay the ransom and obtain the decryption key. In the best interest of restoring normal operations, we did this."

The threat is growing, according to a survey among 30 midsize hospitals conducted by cybersecurity firm, HITRUST.

The survey found that half the facilities had contended with a ransomware attack. The trend is likely to continue because of the profitability for cyber criminals, according to an article in The Journal of American Health Information Management Association.

Published reports revealed that the current value of a patient record on the black market is $20 to $60. The data, which includes bank information, social security numbers and health insurance credentials, can be used for extortion, identity theft and medical insurance theft.

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