Barely a week goes by without ransomware making the headlines. With COVID-19 accelerating a hyper-connected world, ransomware attacks will become even more disastrous. For instance, the unfortunate death of a patient at a hospital in Germany was linked to a ransomware attack that disrupted emergency care.

What is ransomware and how does it work?

Ransomware is a form of computer malware used by cybercriminals to encrypt digital assets. They then threaten the victim to erase it or release it in the public domain unless a ransom has been paid. Phishing is probably the most common method of delivering ransomware although savvy criminals are also known to use a combination of social engineering techniques to fraud victims.