Essentials of Ransomware for Business and Management

Ransomware is one of the most vicious and troublesome forms of cyber terrorism to surface in recent years, and the reported incidents of it are increasing rapidly. In this form of cyber crime, a malicious program takes over a... [ view full abstract ]

Ransomware is one of the most vicious and troublesome forms of cyber terrorism to surface in recent years, and the reported incidents of it are increasing rapidly. In this form of cyber crime, a malicious program takes over a victim’s computer making use of the computer and access to files unavailable unless a victim pays a ransom. The problem affects individuals and organizations, including in one instance, a health-care facility. Typically, the victim does not know how to respond when a ransomware attack takes place, since payment of the amount of the requested ransom does not necessarily resolve the situation. This paper describes the various forms of ransomware and gives insight on effective countermeasures. This is a short paper on a new subject in cybersecurity.