Ransomware is a malware that encrypts information and documents and demands a rescue quantum for decoding them. Ransom payment is made by cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, facilitating online and anonymous payment.

With contributions by Anwar Haq and George Alifragis Ransomware has grown to become a significant threat to organizations today, no matter the size or industry. Cybercriminals are exploiting vulnerabilities in small businesses and enterprises alike, creating short-term and long-term damage that can impact everything from your employees’ productivity to your relationship with customers.

Ransomware has become a familiar front page news topic thanks to recent high-profile attacks against a major meat producer and an East Coast operator of a critical oil pipeline. Also, consider the attack on a provider of software tools to IT outsourcing shops that let hackers paralyze hundreds of businesses on all five continents. No doubt the ransomware threat is serious, and now Washington is mobilizing to wipe out a scourge it formerly treated only as a criminal nuisance.