Ransomware

Ransomware is malicious software or an intrusion technique used to deny access to systems or data and demand payment. Modern campaigns may steal information before encryption, threaten disclosure, disrupt backups or use credentials to move through the network. Paying does not guarantee recovery or deletion of stolen data. Risk reduction combines identity protection, patching, segmentation, controlled privileges, endpoint and network detection, immutable or isolated backups, and rehearsed incident procedures. Backup completion alone is insufficient: organisations need tested restoration, known recovery objectives and copies that the attacker cannot alter. When an incident occurs, priorities include containment, evidence preservation, legal and regulatory assessment, safe recovery and communication. The exact sequence depends on the affected environment and the incident-response plan.