Ransomware: Rescue Plan - Infographic by TrendMicro

What makes ransomware so effective? One reason—fear. Just like any traditional extortion op, ransomware operations succeed because they capitalize on fear, which ultimately forces victims to do something irrational such as paying cybercriminals. Fear of losing your job because you lost important documents to ransomware can be crippling. Getting locked out of your system or never being able to open your files again is a scary thought. Possibly being indicted for potentially embarrassing browsing habits (such as watching adult or inappropriate videos) or unwanted public exposure can compel you to pay. And from what we’ve seen so far, fear-mongering works, as proven by the US$325 million paid by individuals and businesses worldwide to a single ransomware variant called CryptoWall in 2015. Of course, the onus doesn’t completely fall on users. Ransomware has gone through some very drastic changes through the years. Every newly discovered variant seems to have improved, sporting....