At this moment, someone’s computer and personal data are being held hostage. Many have recently become victims of the cybertactic known as ransomware, including hospitals, schools, police departments, government agencies, and private citizens.
Ransomware is a type of malware that infects a computer hard drive or server and locks down or encrypts the information stored on that particular device. The virus then demands that its victim pay a relatively small fee in exchange for unlocking or decrypting the information.
Many have been victimized due to recent public demand for interconnectivity among devices and the increased number of these devices, which create potential ransomware targets. The low level of expertise required to perpetrate these attacks means they are even more prevalent.