Ransomware has become so prevalent that it has eclipsed all other forms of malware in terms of incidents. Criminals have set up call centers so victims can pay ransoms in digital currency called bitcoin, and cybercriminals are now providing one another with tech support to launch more attacks.
A type of virus that encrypts a user’s files until money is paid, ransomware first reared its head in 2013. Cisco Systems, a tech company headquartered in San Jose, Calif., reports that while these attacks are most prevalent on employee laptops, ransomware is now targeting departmental file servers and other critical company infrastructure.
