Businesses struggle to fight against ransomware cyberattacks

Ransomware infections tend to be a frightening scenario for businesses often caught off-guard when an employee mistakenly compromises a workplace machine.

Cybersecurity experts are increasingly worried about ransomware, one of the fastest rising hacker-related crimes, which demands a ransom payment in exchange for files held hostage. The traditional method of infection is a malicious file attached to an email, but criminals are finding ways to point victims to hijacked websites.

Unless home users or companies have data backed up, and are careful of emails opened and websites visited, ransomware can prove especially catastrophic. Even though US government and private sector cybersecurity experts warn against paying ransoms, many companies choose to pay the ransom and move on.

"We certainly are seeing ransomware as a common threat out there," said FBI Special Agent Thomas Grasso, in a statement published by the AP.