computer malware that locks someone’s machine and demands a payment from the computer owner in order to be unlocked.
Ransomware refers to a kind of malicious software developed by hackers and cybercriminals that infects computers and denies access to data until a ransom is paid. Advanced ransomware will hold the infected computer hostage by encrypting the files of the victim, rendering them inaccessible, and demand a ransom payment for the decryption. If a payment is made, there is no guarantee that the payment will unlock the data thanks to the untrustworthiness of cybercriminals. If individuals or companies targeted by ransomware attacks do not have functional data backups, entire systems of data can be completely lost.
A large-scale encryption-based ransomware attack occurred on Friday 12th May by WannaCry ransomware, infecting hundreds of thousands of systems in over 150 countries. This is a type of Trojan malware that demands $300 in bitcoins for decryption of the infected files, with the figure doubling if the ransom is not paid in three days. After seven days without payment, WannaCry deletes the encrypted files and the data is unrecoverable. WannaCry ransomware hit several large companies and organizations globally, including banks, hospitals, and government agencies. Notable victims of the attacks were NHS hospitals, FedEx, Renault, and Russia’s interior ministry where 1,000 of its computers were infected.
ransomware
computer malware that locks someone’s machine and demands a payment from the computer owner in order to be unlocked
Reveton is part of a category of malicious programs called ransomware that block certain OS features or encrypt personal files and ask victims for money in order to return their system to normal.
