What is ransomware?

RANSOMWARE is code that infects and locks a computer. The user has to pay a ransom to get it unlocked. This illegal software has been around since 2005, and has been evolving.

What does the hacker get out of it?

Payment, usually in bitcoins (worth about $1 927 each, or around R25 740), to by the hackers.

O’Sullivan said Telkom’s IT teams went on the alert during the early hours of May 13 as network traffic volumes started increasing in South Africa and decrypt information and unlock the computer.

How can you guard against being a victim?

Making sure operating systems are regularly updated with security patches provides the most protection. Outdated operating systems are the most vulnerable. — elsewhere in the world.

“Our managed-security teams immediately began assessing, monitoring and managing the situation,” she said.

“Throughout these attacks,