{"id":2159,"date":"2023-10-16T09:04:34","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T08:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ie.amtivo.com\/resources\/%resource%\/https-ceurope-submerge-digital-insights-what-is-ransomware\/"},"modified":"2025-04-24T11:25:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T10:25:24","slug":"what-is-ransomware","status":"publish","type":"resources-filter","link":"https:\/\/amtivo.com\/ie\/resources\/insights\/what-is-ransomware\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Ransomware?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The threat of ransomware is among the biggest challenges that Irish organisations currently face. <\/em>According to the Institute of Directors in Ireland<\/em><\/a>, 41% of businesses across Ireland have suffered a cyber attack, and ransomware accounts for a large proportion of that total.<\/em><\/p>\r\n

Ransomware was used in one of the most infamous cyber attacks in the past few years \u2013 the 2021 intrusion into Ireland\u2019s healthcare system<\/a>, which crippled essential services and left patients without access to facilities for days \u2013 but attacks like that happen every day. In fact, research by Statista<\/a> found that there were more than 493,300,000 ransomware attacks globally in 2022 alone.<\/p>\r\n

But what exactly is it about ransomware that makes it so dangerous? In this guide, we explain everything you need to know, plus our essential tips on how to protect your organisation from ransomware.<\/p>\r\n

\"what<\/p>\r\n

What is ransomware?<\/h2>\r\n

Ransomware is a type of malicious program that encrypts a victim\u2019s data or locks them out of their device. The attackers then demand a payment in order to regain access to their systems. The sums can vary greatly, but Zscaler research <\/a>indicates that victims often pay more than $100,000 (about \u20ac92,000).<\/p>\r\n

But that\u2019s just the start of the damage. The trademark of a ransomware attack is that the criminals threaten to publish or sell the compromised data if they aren\u2019t paid, which can result in devastating data breaches. According to an IBM study<\/a>, the cost of a security breach far exceeds the initial ransom demand, with organisations often spending more than $5 million (\u20ac4.6 million) on remediation costs and regulatory penalties.<\/p>\r\n

Types of ransomware<\/h2>\r\n

There are countless types \u2013 or \u2018strains\u2019 \u2013 of ransomware, and although they are all designed to cripple the target\u2019s systems and force a ransom payment, there are many ways they can do this. For instance, one of the most common ransomware strains, LockBit, is usually hidden within the attachments of phishing emails, whereas the Ryuk and REvil strains are more likely to exploit RDP (remote desktop protocols).<\/p>\r\n

Likewise, the mechanics of a ransomware attack can fall into two distinct categories:<\/p>\r\n