Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) used for cybercrime which attempts to prevent user access to something they value, usually digital information on their computer. It will then demand that a ransom be paid so that the user can regain access. In most cases, ransomware will encrypt all of the information on a computer's writable drives, and change the bootloader so that when the computer is started, the malware is launched. It wiser of the demands, and explain how the ransom can be paid. Once paid, the ransomware publisher will hopefully will hopefully send the user a decryption key, which can be entered to decrypt the drive(s).

Evolution

Before improving in 2013, ransomware started out an a method of attack against corporations. The ransom would be very high, since the company targeted would have significant assets. To resume necessary business processes, the corporation may be willing to pay the exorbitant fee. However, modern ransomware now usually charges much less, but is carried by a worm, virus, or trojan so that it can infect many computers worldwide. Although most individual users have no way of paying $100,000, they may be willing to pay $500 to recover their photographs, documents, or other files which are locked on their computer.

Examples

Theses are some of the better known examples of ransomware.

• TeslaCrypt (attacked video games)
• WannaCry (attacked entire Windows systems)