Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became a Threat to National Security

By Max Smeets

Book Overview

Ransom War delves into the alarming rise of ransomware, a type of malicious software that prevents users from accessing their systems or data. Victims are coerced into paying ransoms to regain access or to prevent the release of sensitive information. The issue presents formidable challenges to national security. For instance, in May 2022, a series of devastating ransomware attacks prompted the President of Costa Rica to declare a national emergency, stating that the country was in a 'state of war.' Ransomware also imposes severe hardship on individuals, often impacting the most vulnerable the hardest. One chilling example took place in March 2023 when hackers targeted Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania. By stealing and encrypting their data, the cyber criminals attempted to extort a payment. When the healthcare organisation refused to yield, the hackers resorted to a despicable act by leaking personal data and private photographs of topless female breast cancer patients.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0197803032
• ISBN13: 9780197803035
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.6"