It’s a decades old problem, but it has become prevalent in the last few years, when dozens of cybercriminal gangs have started developing their own ransomware, or creating affiliate programs where the ransomware creators share the code with others in exchange for a cut of the proceedings. Initially, hackers targeted individuals, asking for a few hundred dollars in Bitcoin, but now they go after bigger targets, which they can extort for larger amounts, and which cannot afford to remain without access to their computers and servers, such as Colonial Pipeline.

Read full article on Motherboard