Have you seen the red clock counting down - Cybercrooks

Ransomware is the biggetst online threat…as if it came as a surprise
Numbers include 4 Million reported during this time/Q2 of 2015, and who’s got the number for unreported cases?
With the playing field contributing to strong/open encryption algorithms, anonymous communication protocols and digital currencies, the landscape is prime. Why wait to resell confidential and/or time-sensitive information (or processes) in the black market when you get paid directly by the victim, right?  The evolution of randsomware started with files being encrypted or zip to immobilized the computers by overwriting master book record; and from Windows to Linux and now, just about anything, iPhone, Android phones.  True to malware form, there are variants and derivatives that have become prevalent within other software.  Even more terrifying is your own web servers infected and distributes malware so social engineering is not required i.e. Samsam – which includes capabilities to create backdoors and leaves the entire network at risk.
So, prompt patching, signature updates and quarantine, good backups with effective recovery solution and sound behavioral-based defenses / APT…are all solutions that need to be immediately addressed.
Article source: The Economist