Ransomware Attacks

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) that is designed to extort money from its victims by blocking or preventing them from accessing data on their systems. The two most common types of ransomware are screen lockers and encryptors. Encryptors encrypt data on a system, making the information inaccessible without the decryption key. Screen lockers block access to the system with a “lock” screen.

Perpetrators of ransomware attacks generally threaten to publish sensitive information, or to deny access to a system or data until the Victim pays a ransom fee to the attacker. In many cases, the ransom demand comes with a deadline and if the victim fails to pay the ransom amount by that deadline their access to their data is permanently deleted, or the ransom demand increases.

If you have an infected computer, you will usually see an on-screen alert stating your files are encrypted.