Ransomware is categorized as one of the most dangerous types of malware which could infect a personal computer.
Once infected the computer, ransomeware will encrypt all files on it alongside any hard drives connected to the machine, such as pictures, videos, text files, etc. In other words, all of your files get locked at once.
After that, the attackers will demand an extortion fee to have them decrypted, usually in the form of untraceable Bitcoin ransom. The problem is that you can never be sure if they’ll stay true to their word, or continue to demand more money instead. Thus, your computer should be well-protected at all times.
Originally, ransomware infections started appearing in 2013 and they have been steadily on the rise since then. Presently, it is one of the most dangerous online threats which Internet users could face.
In general, ransomware has only affected personal computers and the malware is often distributed through corrupted websites. During the last few months there has been a new development with ransomware attacks – they have started to infect websites themselves.
These attacks infect and encrypt the website files and demand payment after that. The files on the server become inaccessible, and the homepage is defaced with a warning that the website has been held hostage.
