Ransomware - Quiz

1. What is the primary purpose of ransomware?

A) To track the browsing history of a user.
B) To delete all files on a computer permanently.
C) To improve the security of a computer network.
D) To hold a victim's private data hostage until a ransom is paid.

2. What methods are typically used to request ransom payments?

A) Cryptocurrency or stored-value cards.
B) Credit card payments via public websites.
C) Direct bank transfers to personal accounts.
D) Mailing physical cash to an anonymous address.

3. What is the name of the first documented ransomware from 1989?

A) CryptoWall
B) AIDS trojan
C) CryptoLocker
D) WannaCry

4. How did the WannaCry worm differ from typical ransomware delivery?

A) It was sent exclusively through SMS messages.
B) It required manual installation by an administrator.
C) It traveled automatically between computers without user interaction.
D) It was pre-installed on new computer hardware.

5. Who invented the concept of file-encrypting ransomware?

A) Young and Yung
B) The FBI
C) Statista analysts
D) McAfee researchers

6. What fictional creature inspired the concept of cryptoviral extortion?

A) The Terminator
B) Facehugger from the movie Alien
C) Predator
D) Godzilla

7. In the context of the cryptoviral extortion protocol, what is zeroized?

A) The victim's network connection.
B) The operating system boot record.
C) The attacker's private key.
D) The symmetric key and the original plaintext data.

8. What is hybrid encryption in the context of ransomware?

A) Encrypting the same file twice with different public keys.
B) Encrypting data with a symmetric key and the symmetric key with a public key.
C) Using two different types of malware to lock a system.
D) Sending two separate ransom notes to different victims.

9. Why is it often in the attacker's best interest to provide the decryption key?

A) Victims will stop paying if they learn payments serve no purpose.
B) It is legally required by international law.
C) The FBI forces them to provide it.
D) The attacker feels sympathy for the victim.

10. What was the estimated total cost for ransomware victims in 2023?

A) $813 million
B) $999 million
C) $1.1 billion
D) $1.25 billion

11. What is scareware?

A) A program that claims to lock the system but does not actually do so.
B) A security tool used to detect ransomware.
C) A method for encrypting files using strong algorithms.
D) A program that destroys the hardware motherboard.

12. What percentage of organizations retrieved their data from backups according to Sophos?

A) 26%
B) 18%
C) 94%
D) 56%

13. What is one way ransomware might prevent an operating system from booting?

A) Overheating the computer processor.
B) Deleting the power supply firmware.
C) Disabling the keyboard and mouse drivers.
D) Modifying the master boot record or partition table.

14. Which organization reported 3,611 ransomware complaints in 2025?

A) IEEE
B) McAfee
C) IC3
D) Statista

15. Why is it sometimes possible to retrieve files without paying the ransom?

A) Implementation mistakes or leaked cryptographic keys.
B) The files were never actually encrypted.
C) The malware author sends them back automatically.
D) The government releases a universal key.

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