How ransomware works

Description

Total length of the course: <1 hour

Ransomware is a business model as much as a technical threat, and understanding how it works means looking beyond the malware to the criminal economy that surrounds it. In this conversation, explore how different types of ransomware affect victims, why big game hunting became the dominant strategy, how negotiation and payment decisions shape the wider ecosystem, and how deep the ties between ransomware groups and states like Russia actually go, before asking whether there are any genuine reasons for optimism regarding counter-ransomware actions in the near future.