Hollywood hospital pays bitcoin ransom to hackers

California hospital Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center paid a $17,000 ransom in bitcoins to hackers who seized control of the hospital's computer systems.

The Los Angeles Times reports the hackers demanded the bitcoin ransom in exchange for giving back control of the systems.

The Feb. 5 hack used malware to infect institution's computers, which prevented hospital staff from being able to communicate from those devices.

The hospital paid 40 bitcoins, the equivalent of $17,000.

The 434-bed short-term acute care hospital is owned by CHC of South Korea.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times.