ransomware

noun

ran·som·ware ˈran(t)-səm-ˌwer

: malware that requires the victim to pay a ransom to access encrypted files

In September of 2013, security for small accounting offices changed forever with the appearance of a new class of threats called ransomware. … you open a file attached to an innocent-looking e-mail, and the program encrypts key files and drives so they cannot be accessed. The files are locked until you pay a ransom.—

Dave Mcclure

With ransomware, a hacker slips into a system, then puts encryption controls in place that locks users out. The hackers then demand money to "unlock" the data.—

Elizabeth Millard

Today's ransomware scammers often demand payment in bitcoin because the digital currency is easy to use, fast and provides a heightened anonymity for the scammers, according to the FBI warning.—

Susan Tompor

Examples of ransomware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said in December that attacks by Iranian hackers — as well as a separate spate of ransomware attacks on the health care industry — should be seen as a call to action by utilities and industry to tighten cybersecurity. —

Ken Miller, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024 The company was originally targeted by a ransomware gang known as AlphV in February. —

Andy Greenberg Andrew Couts, WIRED, 13 Apr. 2024 The agency added that it has also been used to help the government gain insight on plans to smuggle fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S. and to mitigate ransomware attacks on U.S. infrastructure. —

Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024 The new demand apparently came from a ransomware group that feels it has been cheated by its partners in the first demand, who may have absconded with the original payoff. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 In late February, Change Healthcare, the largest health care payment system in the country, was targeted in a ransomware attack, a cyberattack that utilizes software to prevent users from accessing electronic systems by demanding a ransom to restore access. —

Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024 When did the ransomware attack happen in Jackson County? —

Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024 The ransomware attack took place March 21 by the hacking group Medusa. —

Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024 After breaking records in 2023, the most significant breach hit in February when a ransomware attack targeted Change Healthcare, the nation's largest health care payment system owned by UnitedHealth Group. —

The Courier-Journal, 9 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ransomware.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.