According to TrendMicro ransomware is defined as “a type of malware that prevents or limits users from accessing their system, either by locking the system’s screen or by locking the users’ files unless a ransom is paid”. Some of the most famous ransomware attacks we’ve seen to date are WannaCry, CryptoWall, and Petya. If not familiar I suggest you doing open source research on the three to get a sense for how they impacted the world. Last month ProPublica released an interesting report titled “The Extortion Economy: How Insurance Companies are Fueling a Rise in Ransomware Attacks (Links to an external site.)” Read the report and take one of the following positions:

1. Against Insurance Companies
2. With Insurance Companies

Once a position is taken answer the following:

1. What is occurring?
2. Is it ethical?
3. If you were the owner of a multimillion dollar company would you pay the ransom?
4. From a technical standpoint how could this have been prevented?

Initial responses are due by . Respond to two of your peers posts

Discussion Posts: Initial
discussion posts must be
answered by at
11:59 PM. Respond to two of
your classmates posts by … in order to achieve full
credit. Be sure that both initial
posts and responses follow APA
citation formatting. This is a
graduate level course therefore
one-word discussion posts and
responses will NOT be accepted.
This can be avoided by diving
deeper into a point someone
raised, sharing your opinion, or
lessons learned from experience.