A malicious activity monitoring mechanism to detect and prevent ransomware

Abstract

In this digital world, security is the primary concern for users concerned about unauthorised access to their computer systems. At the same time, ransomware – a tool used by cyber criminals to encrypt the contents of a computer's file system without the permission or knowledge of the victim – is becoming increasingly common. Once the system is compromised – that is, the files are encrypted – the attacker forces users to pay a ransom, typically through online payment methods, to get a decryption key. Even if victims pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that the decryption key will be supplied, or access to their computer system restored.