Technology Talkies

Ransomware What once sounded like the plot of a mediocre technology thriller has become the stark reality of the technological age in which we live. The rise of ransomware in recent years has turned millions of people around the world into the victims of money-hungry hackers. Since the first major ransomware attack in 2013, this cyber threat has made hackers millions of dollars in ransoms and cost companies billions in losses. What is ransomware? Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts files on the infected computer, thus preventing the owner from accessing them. The owner is required to pay money as a ransom in exchange for the key to decrypt his files, hence the name, ransomware. The ransom for private users is usually in the few hundred dollars, while business owners are usually asked for thousands. In most cases, the hackers ask that the ransom be paid in cryptocurrency, so that the authorities cannot trace them. Like other types of malicious software, ransomware is ty...