White hats versus black hats

A group of self-taught and eccentric individuals are on a mission to decrypt malicious software used by criminals who hold data hostage for ransom. Ransomware Hunting tells their gripping account

The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits’ Improbable Crusade to Save the World from Cybercrime

Authors: Renee Dudley & Daniel Golden

Publisher:Pan MacmillanPress

Price: Rs 599

Ransomware is a nasty form of cyber-blackmail. Criminals gain access to servers containing data, which they encrypt. Then they demand cryptocurrency payment to hand over a decryption key. If the ransom is paid, and the perp does hand over a decryption key, and if that key works, the “kidnapped” data is accessible again. Victims often pay up and don’t report the attack.

Over the years, Ransomware has claimed millions of victims, big and small, from personal computer