ransomware
An online term to describe software that, when downloaded, encrypts the contents of your hard drive and makes the data unreadable. Afterwards, the parties responsible for the ransomware demand payment to decrypt your data. Basically it is Internet extortion.
Historical perspective: Ransomware gangs collected a record $1.1 billion in cryptocurrency from cyberattacks in 2023, according to a new report from Chainalysis, roughly double their total from the year before.
NetLingo Classification: Online Jargon
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