Digital Extortion

Digital extortion, with ransomware as its most prominent form, has become one of the most disruptive cyber threats in recent years. Ransomware locks access to systems or data until a ransom is paid, causing widespread operational paralysis and significant financial losses. In 2024 alone, global digital extortion campaigns inflicted billions of dollars in damages, crippling businesses, schools, and government entities while exposing sensitive information. This project aims to deepen the understanding of the factors that enable digital extortion to thrive.

Involved Researcher: Max Smeets