Which statement describes ransomware?

Which statement describes ransomware?

• A. A type of malware that spreads across a network by replication.
• B. A form of social engineering that tricks users.
• C. A type of malware that encrypts the victim's files and demands payment.
• D. A protective software.

Answer: (C)

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks or encrypts the victim's files and demands payment to restore access. It typically gets onto a system through phishing emails, malicious downloads, or exploiting vulnerabilities, and once inside, it renders data unusable until a decryption key is provided (often for a cryptocurrency payment). Some attackers also threaten to leak or destroy data if the ransom isn’t paid. The key feature is that it directly denies access to data by encryption and requests payment for recovery, which is why this description fits best. The other statements describe different things. Spreading by replication describes how some malware propagates, not what ransomware does to the victim’s data. Social engineering is a tactic used to get people to run malicious software, not the ransomware’s action itself. Protective software refers to defensive tools, which are the opposite of malware.

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks or encrypts the victim's files and demands payment to restore access. It typically gets onto a system through phishing emails, malicious downloads, or exploiting vulnerabilities, and once inside, it renders data unusable until a decryption key is provided (often for a cryptocurrency payment). Some attackers also threaten to leak or destroy data if the ransom isn’t paid. The key feature is that it directly denies access to data by encryption and requests payment for recovery, which is why this description fits best.

The other statements describe different things. Spreading by replication describes how some malware propagates, not what ransomware does to the victim’s data. Social engineering is a tactic used to get people to run malicious software, not the ransomware’s action itself. Protective software refers to defensive tools, which are the opposite of malware.