What is by far the most common tactic used by ransomware to shut down a...

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that encrypts certain files or data on the victim’s system or network and prevents them from accessing their data until they pay a ransom. This is by far the most common tactic used by ransomware to shut down a victim’s operation, as it can cause costly disruptions, data loss, and reputational damage. Ransomware can affect individual users, businesses, and organizations of all kinds. Ransomware can spread through various methods, such as phishing emails, malicious attachments, compromised websites, or network vulnerabilities. Some ransomware variants can also self-propagate and infect other devices or networks. Ransomware authors typically demand payment in cryptocurrency or other untraceable methods, and may threaten to delete or expose the encrypted data if the ransom is not paid within a certain time frame. However, paying the ransom does not guarantee that the files will be decrypted or that the attackers will not target the victim again. Therefore, the best way to protect against ransomware is to prevent infection in the first place, and to have a backup of the data in case of an attack1234

References:

What is Ransomware? | How to Protect Against Ransomware in 2023

Ransomware - Wikipedia

What is ransomware? | Ransomware meaning | Cloudflare

[What Is Ransomware? | Ransomware.org]

[Ransomware — FBI]