Ransomware and Its Impact on Society

SBM4304-IS Security and Risk
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Ransomware and Its Impact on Society.......................................................................................1
Recent Ransomware Attacks.......................................................................................................3
Working Mechanism of Ransomware.........................................................................................4
Threats of Ransomware...............................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
2017-2019 Ransomware statistics and facts, 2019 [Online]. Available
Through.<https://www.comparitech.com/antivirus/ransomware-statistics/>..................................6

INTRODUCTION
Ransomware is a type of malware that is originated or based on cryptovirology that
threatens to victim's data or information perpetually blocked access to it unless a ransom is paid.
This type of malware and computer viruses are created or developed by computer and network
hackers for unethical use (Mohurle and Patil, 2017). There are different categories of
ransomware and threat from these categories are of different level. The simplest kind of
ransomware can be reversed by simple person who is possessing some knowledge of computers
and programming and the advance level of ransomware uses a technique that is known as
cryptoviral extortion that turn the files of victim in encryption and asked for ransom to decrypt
those files. This is how unethical hackers use a virus to put the victim on threat and asked to pay
to solve the issue of accessibility of different files. This is kind of viruses are threat to society
and this type of malware took the cyber crime to next level. This report is providing information
about ransomware and its negative impact on society. Most recent ransomware attacks are also
analysed in report to evaluate their impact on various social areas. Working mechanism of
ransomware and its threats are also covered in this study.
MAIN BODY
Ransomware and Its Impact on Society
Malware is a software that is designed intentionally to affect computer of target user and
cause damage to a computer server, client, computer, various files and user network. This
malware start working as they are implanted on and operated on personal computer and server of
user. This ransomware is also known as rogueware and scareware. Basically ransomware is a
computer virus that is designed in cryptovirology and stay inactive until this cryptovirologic file
is opened in a computer. On the different level of difficulty damage and working of ransomware
is different. As this software program file is opened in hostage computer it restricts the user to
access the data and files on computer and lock whole system or partial system. As the system got
locked by this program user will not be able to access the files in computer and to unlock the
system user are forced to pay ransom to hackers to remove the restrictions (Brewer, 2016). The
most dangerous ransomwares are WannaCry, Petya, Cerber, CryptoLocker and Locky
ransomware. The ransomware is a normal computer program that is made by highly
knowledgeable and skilled computer hackers and scammers. This ransomware enters a computer
through email attachment or by visiting a website that are infected with this type of malware.
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