Everything about Ransomware
Malicious software used in ransom demands
Ransomware is a type of malware that takes the private data of a victim hostage until a ransom is paid. This can involve encryption of the data, and/or exfiltration with the threat of publicly releasing the data. Ransom is typically requested to be paid via cryptocurrency or stored-value cards since these are harder to trace; making the crime more difficult to prosecute. Sometimes the original files can be retrieved without paying the ransom due to implementation mistakes, leaked cryptographic keys or a complete lack of encryption in the ransomware. Wikipedia →
🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path
- Read the overview: RansomwareA 5-minute orientation
- Skim a recent paper: Trends in Ransomware Attacks on US Hospitals, Clinics, and Other Health Care Delivery Organizations, 2016-2021Influential work since 2022
- Pick up a classic book: Cyber InsecurityThe most-reprinted book on the subject
- Read the landmark paper: Ransomware threat success factors, taxonomy, and countermeasures: A survey and research directionsCited 316 times
- Go sideways: CryptoLockerA closely related topic
- Go sideways: Linux.EncoderA closely related topic
📖 Definitions
Noun Malware that holds the data of a computer user for ransom, usually requiring or claiming to require payment to restore access.
Noun Software that is released as open source only in exchange for payment.
🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)
Ransomware threat success factors, taxonomy, and countermeasures: A survey and research directions
A Survey on Ransomware: Evolution, Taxonomy, and Defense Solutions
Ransomware: Recent advances, analysis, challenges and future research directions
Detecting crypto-ransomware in IoT networks based on energy consumption footprint
Classification of ransomware families with machine learning based onN-gram of opcodes
The rise of ransomware and emerging security challenges in the Internet of Things
Internet of things and ransomware: Evolution, mitigation and prevention
Ransomware payments in the Bitcoin ecosystem
🆕 Influential since 2022
Trends in Ransomware Attacks on US Hospitals, Clinics, and Other Health Care Delivery Organizations, 2016-2021
The Age of Ransomware: A Survey on the Evolution, Taxonomy, and Research Directions
Early detection of crypto-ransomware using pre-encryption detection algorithm
Ransomware Detection Using Machine Learning: A Survey
BSFR-SH: Blockchain-Enabled Security Framework Against Ransomware Attacks for Smart Healthcare
📚 Books worth reading
Cyber Insecurity · 2018
How They Hack You?!Victor M. Christiansenn · 2025
Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.
🔗 Related topics
- CryptoLocker The CryptoLocker ransomware attack was a cyberattack using the CryptoLocker ransomware that occurred from 5 September 2013 to late May 2014. The attack…
- Linux.Encoder Linux.Encoder (also known as ELF/Filecoder.A and Trojan.Linux.Ransom.A) is considered to be the first ransomware trojan targeting computers running Linux…
- TeslaCrypt TeslaCrypt was a ransomware trojan. It is now defunct, and its master key was released by the developers. In its early forms, TeslaCrypt targeted game-play…
- TorrentLocker TorrentLocker is a ransomware trojan targeting Microsoft Windows. It was first observed in February 2014, with at least five of its major releases made…
- Cryptovirology Cryptovirology refers to the study of cryptography use in malware, such as ransomware and asymmetric backdoors.[citation needed] Traditionally, cryptography…
- Kirk Ransomware Kirk Ransomware, or Kirk, is malware. It encrypts files on an infected computer and demands payment for decryption in the cryptocurrency Monero. The ransomware…
- Petya (malware family) Petya is a family of encrypting malware that was first discovered in 2016. The malware targets Microsoft Windows–based systems, infecting the master boot…
- Malware Malware (a portmanteau of malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption or destruction to a computer, server, client,…