How does ransomware work

Ransomware is a Trojan designed to extort money from a victim. Often ransomware programs require a fee for canceling the changes that were made by the Trojan program on the victim's computer.

encryption of data on the disk, so that the user can no longer access his files;
blocking access to the device.
Methods for penetrating ransomware onto a computer
The most common ways to install ransomware Trojans are:

using phishing;
by placing malware on a website.
After installation, the Trojan either encrypts the information that is stored on the victim’s computer or blocks the normal operation of the computer, displaying a message requesting payment of a certain amount for decrypting the files and restoring the system. In most cases, a message requesting a money transfer appears when the user restarts the computer after infection occurs.

how does ransomware work

Ransomware is increasingly being used by cybercriminals around the world. However, ransom demand messages and ways to extort money in different regions may be different. For instance:

Fake messages about the presence of unlicensed applications
Such Trojans throw out a message stating that unlicensed software is installed on the victim’s computer. Then payment is required.
Fake Illegal Content Reporting
In countries where pirated software is less common, this method is not very effective. Instead, a pop-up message from ransomware Trojans can mimic a message from law enforcement agencies about the discovery on a computer of content containing child pornography or other illegal content. The message is accompanied by a fine.