From hotforsecurity.bitdefender.com
While there may be more than 1 billion pieces of malware prowling the internet for a chance to infect victims, one particular piece of nastiness has been inflicting financial losses and security headaches for years.
Known as ransomware, its sole purpose is to block access to computer systems or files until the victim pays a ransom. These ransom demands fluctuate wildly, from the equivalent of a couple of hundred dollars to several hundred thousand.