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What Is Ransomware

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Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Security Pro's Blunt Guide

A Single Click That Cost a Hospital $22 Million In February 2024, Change Healthcare — the payment processing backbone for thousands of U.S. hospitals and pharmacies — was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. UnitedHealth Group, its parent company, confirmed paying approximately $22 million in ransom. The attack disrupted prescription

Carl B. Johnson Aug 11, 2025 7 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Security Pro's Blunt Guide

In September 2023, MGM Resorts watched its slot machines go dark, hotel room keys stop working, and reservation systems crash — all because a threat actor social-engineered the company's help desk with a ten-minute phone call. The attackers deployed ransomware that cost MGM an estimated $100 million in lost

Carl B. Johnson Feb 28, 2024 6 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Practical Defense Guide for 2022

In February 2022, Nvidia — one of the largest chip manufacturers on the planet — confirmed it was hit by a ransomware attack. The threat actor group Lapsus$ claimed they stole over a terabyte of proprietary data and began leaking employee credentials and source code. If a company with Nvidia's

Carl B. Johnson Mar 21, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Practical Defense Guide for 2021

In February 2021, Kia Motors America was hit with a ransomware attack reportedly demanding $20 million in Bitcoin. Customers couldn't access dealer portals. Internal systems went dark. The company spent days scrambling to restore operations. This wasn't an isolated event — it was the latest in a

Carl B. Johnson Mar 31, 2021 6 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Practical Defense Guide for 2026

In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline paid a $4.4 million ransom to the DarkSide threat actor group after a single compromised password shut down fuel distribution across the U.S. East Coast. Gas stations ran dry. Panic buying erupted. And one of the most critical infrastructure networks in the country

Carl B. Johnson Nov 30, 2019 7 min read