The threat of ransomware has grown at an unprecedented rate, rising from being a menace to becoming by far the most common form of malware delivered to victims by cyberattackers.
In the space of a year, ransomware appears to have evolved on from the simple but effective strategy of locking down the files of infected targets until they pay a ransom, to incorporating additional malicious elements, such as stealing personal or financial data from the victim's system.
While the success of ransomware demonstrates there are plenty of victims who'll pay cybercriminals in order to get their files back, there are also schemes such as No More Ransom which allow them to restore their computer without having to part with a penny.
Now cybersecurity researchers warn that new ransomware features could make life even worse for victims. Rather than just encrypting key files, ransomware could soon infect a computer to such an extent that the only two options available to the user would be to pay, or to lose access to the entire system.
[excerpted]
http://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-is-about-to-get-a-lot-worse-by-holding-your-operating-system-hostage/
