Ransomware is a kind of malicious computer software developed by attackers that, when activated, encrypts files stored on a computer system. This malware is often downloaded or stealthily installed on computers when victims visit an infected website or click on a phishing email. Ransomware recovery costs are averaging around $300 per incident, with total ‘industry’ costs closing around $1 billion paid to attackers in 2016. Ransomware is a growing problem, and a focus by information security and cybersecurity professionals and experts. Strong disaster recovery, business continuity, and incident response planning will help minimize the impact of infection. In the video, one of our experienced IT security analysts, Scott Goodwin, developed this homemade variant of ransomware. Watch this video to learn a bit more about how it works, and how to mitigate risks related to this malware.
For a list of other buzzwords, threats, and cyber challenges, visit our cheat sheet.
