MI Radio: Ransonware Silences Another Station

WAKV 980 AM in Otsego, Michigan was shut down for a day after online criminals held the owner’s computer for ransom, according to WOOD-TV.

WAKV (1Kw), which serves Allegan and Kalamazoo counties, is run out of the basement of owner Jim Higgs’ 144-year-old home in Plainwell.

On Jan. 9, crooks used software called “ransomware” to remotely shut down the computers Higgs uses to get his station on the air. His files were encrypted so he couldn’t get to them.

“Our entire music library, the audio files, all of our jingles, all of our commercials, all of our announcer voice tracks — everything locked,” Higgs listed. “There was an icon on my screen and it said that, ‘We have locked up your files and if you want them unlocked then you will have to pay us $500.'”

WAKV 980 AM Coverage Area

Jim Higgs, WAKV

WAKV was off the air for more than a day before Higgs found a way to get around the problems using an old computer that had his music on it. He has spent hours retrieving his billing and tracking information, with an unknown number of hours of work still ahead.

“People have said this for years: They told me this for years, back things up, back things up. Well, this is why,” Higgs said.

Higgs said he was fortunate that he did not lose any commercial money, but he has the cover the expenses of bringing in his on-air talent to re-voice all of the stuff he already had.

Higgs said he doesn’t remember clicking on anything suspicious that would have infected his computer.

To protect yourself from ransomware and other malware, avoid clicking on pop-up ads or windows, emails from senders you don’t know, and shady websites. Keep your firewall turned on and run reputable antivirus programs regularly.