Here are some insights from a recent Forrester report: WannaCry alone spread globally to 300,000 devices in over 150 countries in a single weekend, and caused millions, perhaps even billions, of damage. The result is often brand damage, costly lawsuits, or lost customer loyalty.Īttacks such as WannaCry, Petya, Bad Rabbit were headliners in 2017. Ransomware, like many Trojans, are disguised as legitimate files, with the ransom note appearing on screen, often with threats of deletion or publication without payment. This devious malware typically enters opportunistically through drive-by downloads, email links, social network messages, and websites more recently, ransomware has been distributed through aggressive worms and targeted attacks.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the keys needed to break the encryption will be returned upon payment. Once ransomware enters a system, it makes itself known by taking control, encrypting files or complete systems, and blocking user access until requests for payments, which are often displayed in warning messages, are fulfilled. Many ransomware attacks demand ransoms to be paid via cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. Once the virus is installed, users lose the ability to access their computer data or use the machine.

Ransomware is usually spread by phishing attacks or click-jacking. The most famous examples of ransomware are Reveton, CryptoLocker, and WannaCry. Ransomware is a type of computer virus that seizes control of a user's computer or encrypts the data and then demands a ransom for the return of normal operations.

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