Dictionary

ransomware en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈɹænsəmˌwɛə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin redemptiō Old French raençonbor. Middle English raunsoun English ransom Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) Old English sōfte Middle English softe English soft Proto-Germanic *warō Proto-West Germanic *waru Old English waru Middle English ware English -ware English softwarebf. English -ware English ransomware From ransom + -ware.

Meanings

1. (qualifier:computer security, uncountable, usually) Malware that holds the data of a computer user for ransom, usually requiring or claiming to require payment to restore access.
   • Garmin has been forced to shut down its call centres, website and some other online services after a ransomware attack encrypted the smartwatch maker’s internal network and some production systems. 2020 July 24, Mark Sweney, “Smartwatch maker Garmin hit by outages after ransomware attack”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 24 Feb 2022:
   • Cybersecurity firm Semperis found that 86% of surveyed organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany that faced ransomware attacks were targeted on a holiday or weekend. 2024 November 25, Sean Lyngaas, “Starbucks forced to pay its baristas manually because of a ransomware attack on third-party software”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 27 Nov 2024:
   • Last March, Trenitalia, the Italian state-owned railway, suffered a major ransomware attack on its ticketing system, which disrupted sales at stations as well as passenger information screens. 2023 March 22, Christian Wolmar, “Cybersecurity concerns highlight a range of potential risks”, in RAIL, number 979, page 33:
   • The amount of money generated by ransomware schemes would appear to be quite small given their lack of popularity and the asking price in ransom notes […] 2008, Markus Jakobsson, Zulfikar Ramzan, Crimeware: Understanding New Attacks and Defenses, page 375:
2. (derogatory, qualifier:computer security, uncountable, usually) Software that is released as open source only in exchange for payment.
   • [I]n some situations, the source code of COTS may be escrowed and released under a free software or open source license when the original developer (or supplier) no longer continues to develop that software or if stipulated fundraising conditions are met. This model is referred to as the ransom model of software publishing and the software is known as ransomware. 2013, Mano Paul, Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CSSLP CBK, Second Edition, page 622:

Forms

Hypernyms

malware

Relateds

cyberextortion

Translations (62)

hu zsarolóprogram (malware) · el λυτρισμικό (malware) · sk vydieračský program (malware) · de Lösegeld-Software (malware) · fr rançongiciel (malware) · de Erpressungstrojaner (malware) · cmn 勒索軟體 /勒索软体 (malware) · nl gijzelsoftware (malware) · de Erpressungssoftware (malware) · sh уцењивачки софтвер (malware) · sv utpressningstrojan (malware) · ru програ́мма-шантажи́ст (malware) · ko 랜섬웨어 (malware) · pl oprogramowanie szantażujące (malware) · tr şantaj yazılımı (malware) · sl izsiljevalska programska oprema (malware) · ms perisian tebusan (malware) · ja ランサムウェア (malware) · de Lösegeld-Trojaner (malware) · sv utpressningsprogram (malware) · vi phần mềm tống tiền (malware) · sh ucenjivački softver (malware) · hy դրամաշորթ ծրագիր (malware) · ru програ́мма-вымога́тель (malware) · sk ransomvér (malware) · tk şantažçy programma (malware) · lv izspiedējprogrammatūra (malware) · bg софтуер за изнудване (malware) · fr logiciel rançonneur (malware) · no utpressingsprogramvare (malware) · et lunavara (malware) · sl izsiljevalski program (malware) · uk програма-шантажист (malware) · sh ренсомвер (malware) · bg рансъмуер (malware) · lv izspiedējvīruss (malware) · sh ucjenjivački softver (malware) · sh уцјењивачки софтвер (malware) · nl ransomware (malware) · sv utpressningsprogramvara (malware) · mk уценувачки софтвер (malware) · uk програма-вимагач (malware) · id perangkat pemeras (malware) · pl ransomware (malware) · no utpressingsvare (malware) · uz tovlamachi dastur (malware) · fr logiciel d'extorsion (malware) · de Ransomware (malware) · he כּוֹפְרָה (malware) · cs vyděračský program (malware) · sk vydieračský softvér (malware) · fr ransomware (malware) · cy meddalwedd wystlo (malware) · hu zsarolóvírus (malware) · sh rensomver (malware) · fr logiciel de rançon (malware) · lv izspiešanas ļaunprogrammatūra (malware) · fi kiristysohjelma (malware) · sl izsiljevalsko programje (malware) · cs ransomware (malware) · pl oprogramowanie wymuszające okup (malware) · tr fidye yazılımı (malware)