AppleMagazine Explains: What Is Ransomware?

Computers across the world were locked up and users’ files held for ransom when dozens of countries were hit in a cyber-extortion attack that targeted hospitals, companies and government agencies.

Here’s a look at how malware and ransomware work and what people can do if they fall victim to attacks.

WHAT IS MALWARE AND RANSOMWARE?

Malware is a general term that refers to software that’s harmful to your computer, said John Villasenor, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Ransomware is a type of malware that essentially takes over a computer and prevents users from accessing data on it until a ransom is paid, he said.

HOW DOES YOUR COMPUTER BECOME INFECTED WITH RANSOMWARE?

In most cases, the software infects computers through links or attachments in malicious messages known as phishing emails.

“The age-old advice is to never click on a link in an email,” said Jerome Segura, a senior malware intelligence researcher at Malwarebytes, a San Jose-based company that has released anti-ransomware software. “The idea is to try to trick the victim into running a malicious piece of code.”