ITPEC IP October 2025 Question 45

Ransomware encrypts or otherwise blocks access to a victim's files and demands payment — the promised decryption key is used as leverage for the ransom.

Modern ransomware may also steal data and threaten publication, but the defining behavior in the choices is unauthorized encryption followed by an extortion demand. Paying does not guarantee restoration, so prevention and recoverable offline backups are important.

Answer (b)

Why not others:
- (a) describes a backdoor that creates a hidden route for unauthorized access
- (c) describes a man-in-the-browser attack that manipulates online transactions
- (d) describes the self-propagating characteristic of a worm

Key rule: Identify malware by its defining action: ransomware extorts, a backdoor enables access, a banking attack alters transactions, and a worm self-spreads.

AI-generated — may contain errors