{"id":16282,"date":"2026-06-24T08:08:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T12:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.netwitness.com\/?post_type=glossary&p=16282"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:12:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:12:05","slug":"ransomware","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.netwitness.com\/it\/cyber-glossary\/ransomware\/","title":{"rendered":"Ransomware"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What is Ransomware?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ransomware<\/span><\/b>\u00a0is a type of malicious software that blocks access to files, systems, or data until a ransom is demanded. In many modern attacks, ransomware does more than encrypt files: attackers may also steal data, threaten public leaks, launch a DDoS attack, or pressure customers, partners, and employees as part of an extortion campaign.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In cybersecurity, ransomware is one of the most disruptive network security threats because it can combine malware infection, credential theft, file encryption, data exfiltration, business downtime, and reputational damage into a single cyber threat.<\/span><\/p>

Ransomware is\u00a0malware\u00a0that is designed to hold digital assets hostage. It may encrypt files, lock users out of devices, disable business systems, or threaten to expose sensitive information unless the victim pays a ransom.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A ransomware attack usually begins with unauthorized access. This access may come from phishing, spear phishing, a malicious email, stolen credentials, exposed Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), unpatched systems, malvertising, or zero-day vulnerabilities. Once inside the environment, attackers may perform reconnaissance, escalate privileges, move laterally through the internal network, deploy a ransomware payload, and demand payment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Ransomware in cybersecurity is especially dangerous because it targets availability, confidentiality, and integrity at the same time. A single ransomware infection can make systems unavailable, expose sensitive data, and corrupt or encrypt critical files.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Synonyms<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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