Editorial: Ransomware attacks are crippling cities, schools and hospitals. Congress can help.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on the economy, but members of at least one profession are making out better than ever: cybercriminals. The average ransom paid by hacked organizations nearly tripled last year over the previous year; the highest reported ransom paid, $10 million, also was double the previous year’s high. Worse, many of the victims are those most essential to keeping communities safe, healthy and in good working order: state and local governments, schools and hospitals. Ransomware attacks use malicious software to lock a target out of its files — until the target pays to regain access to its own computers.