Ransomware attacks have become one of the biggest threats in cybersecurity today. Cybercriminals have blocked access to a major US oil pipeline, shut down hospitals in Ireland and halted operations in the world's largest meat processing company.
And those are only recent examples that have become public. The scale of the crimes making headlines has shown that online extortionists and cybergangs are aiming for mass disruption and ultimately bigger financial gain as they hold more critical targets for ransom.
Some of the recent attacks have been traced to Russian cybercriminal groups that focus their efforts on foreign targets. Russia has been criticised for turning a blind eye to the attacks.