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Ransomware - Quiz
Contributed by: Chadwick
  • 1. What is the primary purpose of ransomware?
A) To improve the security of a computer network.
B) To track the browsing history of a user.
C) To hold a victim's private data hostage until a ransom is paid.
D) To delete all files on a computer permanently.
  • 2. What methods are typically used to request ransom payments?
A) Credit card payments via public websites.
B) Cryptocurrency or stored-value cards.
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) WannaCry
B) CryptoWall
C) AIDS trojan
D) CryptoLocker
  • 4. How did the WannaCry worm differ from typical ransomware delivery?
A) It was sent exclusively through SMS messages.
B) It traveled automatically between computers without user interaction.
C) It was pre-installed on new computer hardware.
D) It required manual installation by an administrator.
  • 5. Who invented the concept of file-encrypting ransomware?
A) Statista analysts
B) Young and Yung
C) The FBI
D) McAfee researchers
  • 6. What fictional creature inspired the concept of cryptoviral extortion?
A) The Terminator
B) Godzilla
C) Facehugger from the movie Alien
D) Predator
  • 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 symmetric key and the original plaintext data.
D) The attacker's private key.
  • 8. What is hybrid encryption in the context of ransomware?
A) Encrypting the same file twice with different public keys.
B) Sending two separate ransom notes to different victims.
C) Using two different types of malware to lock a system.
D) Encrypting data with a symmetric key and the symmetric key with a public key.
  • 9. Why is it often in the attacker's best interest to provide the decryption key?
A) The attacker feels sympathy for the victim.
B) It is legally required by international law.
C) Victims will stop paying if they learn payments serve no purpose.
D) The FBI forces them to provide it.
  • 10. What was the estimated total cost for ransomware victims in 2023?
A) $813 million
B) $1.1 billion
C) $1.25 billion
D) $999 million
  • 11. What is scareware?
A) A security tool used to detect ransomware.
B) A program that destroys the hardware motherboard.
C) A program that claims to lock the system but does not actually do so.
D) A method for encrypting files using strong algorithms.
  • 12. What percentage of organizations retrieved their data from backups according to Sophos?
A) 26%
B) 94%
C) 18%
D) 56%
  • 13. What is one way ransomware might prevent an operating system from booting?
A) Disabling the keyboard and mouse drivers.
B) Modifying the master boot record or partition table.
C) Deleting the power supply firmware.
D) Overheating the computer processor.
  • 14. Which organization reported 3,611 ransomware complaints in 2025?
A) McAfee
B) IC3
C) Statista
D) IEEE
  • 15. Why is it sometimes possible to retrieve files without paying the ransom?
A) The malware author sends them back automatically.
B) The files were never actually encrypted.
C) Implementation mistakes or leaked cryptographic keys.
D) The government releases a universal key.
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