Ransomware Targeting American Businesses
Saturday, August 6th, 2016 -- 7:30 AM
American businesses are being hit by ransomware at an unprecedented rate -- and executives are far more likely to be targeted.CNN reports that ransomware encrypts computer files and keeps them locked until money is paid. A new study looked at 540 companies with a combined three million employees in the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. Nearly 40% of the businesses had been hit by ransomware over the last year.
The majority of ransom demands range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars with several companies paying upwards of $10,000 dollars or more. According to the study, companies in healthcare and financial services were hit most often, followed by those in the manufacturing sector and government agencies like police departments. Of those affected, 30% say they lost revenue and 20% temporarily shut down
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