ITPEC FE Morning April 2022 Question 37
Which of the following is a program that is designed to block access to a computer or encrypt most of the data on that computer until a sum of money is paid?
Explanation
Ransomware — it locks the computer or encrypts its data and demands a payment, the ransom, for restoring access.
Ransomware typically arrives through an email attachment or an unpatched vulnerability. It encrypts files with a key only the attacker holds, or locks the screen, then shows a demand for payment, often in cryptocurrency, in exchange for the decryption key. Paying does not guarantee recovery, so the main defences are backups kept offline and prompt patching.
Answer (b)
Why not others:
- •(a) Adware — displays unwanted advertisements to earn revenue; it does not block access or encrypt data.
- •(c) Rootkit — a set of tools that hides the attacker's files and processes and keeps privileged access; it aims to stay unnoticed, not to demand money.
- •(d) Spyware — secretly collects information such as browsing habits or passwords and sends it out, without the user noticing.
Key rule: Malware is named after its goal: ransom for ransomware, advertising for adware, hiding for a rootkit, secret data collection for spyware.
Security · AI-written, may contain errors
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