(WTOL-11) – Wood County, which was victimized by a cyber security breach, has been forced to pay ransom.

County officials say they have paid out a $1.5 million ransom to free the county from a ransomware computer attack.

The county says it has resolved the issue and is working to restore systems securely.

County commissioners said they came to the decision to pay the ransom after consulting with cybersecurity experts.

Many systems are now back online and additional security measures are in place.

Commissioners say paying the ransom was a difficult choice but thanks to reserve funds, the payment will not impact the 2025 budget.