What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is malware or a broader extortion operation that makes systems or data unavailable and demands payment. Modern groups often steal data before encryption (“double extortion”) and may additionally threaten publication, customer contact or denial of service. Ransomware is therefore an identity, network and incident-response problem-not merely a backup problem.

Typical operation

1. Initial access:
   Phishing, stolen credentials, exposed remote access or exploited vulnerabilities.
2. Expansion:
   Privilege escalation, credential theft and lateral movement.
3. Preparation:
   Disable controls, locate backups, collect and exfiltrate data.
4. Impact:
   Encrypt data, stop services and obstruct recovery.
5. Extortion:
   Demand payment and threaten data release.

Risk reduction

Incident response

• - Activate the response team and document decisions/times.
• - Isolate systems carefully while preserving volatile evidence and critical operations.
• - Revoke identities, tokens and keys from a clean environment.
• - Determine scope, initial access, persistence and data theft forensically.
• - Assess notification, insurance, contract and communication duties with experts.
• - Restore verified clean backups and harden before reconnection.

Payment guarantees neither decryption nor deletion and may introduce legal risk. Decisions belong in a prepared crisis process involving management, forensics, legal counsel and authorities.

Useful open-source tools

Velociraptor supports endpoint hunting and forensics, YARA classifies files and Sigma describes portable log detections. Chainsaw hunts Windows events with Sigma. Prepare tools in playbooks; installing them hurriedly during an incident can alter evidence.