Ransomeware - Practical and Legal Considerations for Confronting the New Economic Engine of the Dark Web

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts data on a device or a system, then bars access to, or recovery of, that data until the owner has paid a ransom. This type of threat has existed in some shape or form since at least 1989, but over the past two years the frequency and scope of attacks have increased to alarming levels. In response, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) identified Ransomware as “one of the most serious online threats facing people and businesses” in 2016 as well as “the most profitable form of malware criminals use,” and the FBI developed a special working group dedicated to fighting it.