David Pogue: Now I Get it: Ransomware

by **bdahm** Wed May 24, 2017 11:00 am

On May 12, a computer worm called WannaCry infected 320,000 Windows computers in 150 countries—and made headlines around the world. Here’s what you need to know.

Meet ransomware

Why the headlines? First, because WannaCry is one of the most widespread cases of ransomware—software that encrypts all of the files on your PC, and will not unlock them until you pay the bad guys. In WannaCry’s case, you’re supposed to pay $300 within three days; at that point, the price goes up. If you still haven’t paid in a week, all your files are gone forever. (Here’s what it looks like if you’re infected.)

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/now-get-ransomware-133322438.html

-Bill