I’ve come across information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated increase in cyberattacks. This period was marked by a significant surge in online activities, encompassing work, education, communication, and various essential tasks conducted in the digital realm. Many organizations opted for a work-from-home strategy to ensure the safety of their employees and to curb the spread of the virus.
However, this shift to remote work also attracted the attention of cybercriminals. One prevalent type of malware that gained notoriety during the pandemic was ransomware. Ransomware attacks have the capability to lock users out of their files, demanding a ransom payment to be made to the attacker before access is restored. These payments are often requested in the form of Bitcoin, which provides an extra layer of anonymity, making it challenging to trace the transaction. Additionally, I’ve learned that victims of such attacks may have no option but to pay the ransom to regain access to their data.