Ransomware was one of the biggest security threats for businesses in 2016. As data becomes increasingly valuable – and with the new technologies available – the proverbial bad guys will be taking aim at weak systems and critical data repositories. Studies show that data breaches or loss of vital information will cost companies around $2.1 trillion globally by 2019, four times higher than the cost in 2015.

Ransomware goes back in history 30 years and extorted huge amounts of money from organizations that paid to unlock their data. This malware evolved into one of the most feared threats for IT environments and it can even be purchased on dedicated platforms by ill-intended people.

Preparation is the key for dealing with ransomware and one of the most important consideration is understanding how it works and the risks it brings. Ransomware education became vital for organizations that must keep their employees aware of the risks they are exposed to and how to avoid malicious content online.

From this essential guide, you will learn more about ransomware, including: