Ransomware: The Evolution of a Cybercrime

Ransomware is growing threats that encrypts and lock user's files and holds the decryption key until a ransom is settled by the target. This type of malware is responsible for tens of millions of dollars in extortion annually. Worse still, developing new variants is trivial, facilitating the evasion of many antivirus and intrusion detection systems. This paper discusses the evolution of the Ransomware, which involves types of both computer and mobile device ransomware. The scam has evolved over time, using various techniques to disable the target device. We have identified at least ten different versions of ransomware. In fact, there is not just one single family of ransomware composed of multiple variants, but rather multiple families each with their own unique behavior. This paper also provides the suggestion on how to protect the devices from being infected by this kind of cybercrime.