Ransomware: What is it and its risks

Ransomware is malware that prevents users from being able to access personal files until a ransom payment is made. Individuals, businesses, and organizations are at risk. The individual carries out the attack by gaining access to a network. From there, they are able to use malware to lock the devices. They often get access through spam, advertising, phishing, and social engineering. Ransomware has become one of the most prominent malware and has impacted millions of people. Hospitals are one of the biggest targets for ransomware attacks. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are prime targets because they have money and want to quickly pay up to be able to provide their services. These attacks can be detrimental because it exposes personal information and can prevent immediate care to patients which has

led to deaths. As ransomware and other cyberattacks become more prevalent, getting ahead of attacks is key. One way to see if any of your information has been compromised is by testing your password security and checking if any accounts you have had have been breached, like what we did during the cybersecurity portion of the class. Individuals should also implement other factors of security with two-factor authentication and keeping systems up to date. Companies should take extra precautions and train their team on the steps of reporting and handling ransomware situations. They can also implement threat modeling, which is a way of identifying threats within their systems to be able to prevent hacks from breaches. As technology continues to change and expand, the threat of ransomware and cyberattacks, so it is important to take time to be steps ahead of the threat and keep your information backed up.