ransomware
SayRAN-suhm-wair/ˈɹænsəmˌwɛɹ/UK/ˈɹænsəmˌwɛə/
- 1Harmful software that locks your files until you pay money to get them back.
Like a thief who locks your things in a box and won't hand over the key until you pay.
The hospital lost access to its records after ransomware spread through the network.
A single click on a bad link can let ransomware onto your computer.
Note
- 2Software whose code is shared openly only after enough people have paid for it.
Like a club that promises to open its doors to everyone, but only after enough people pay to get in.
Critics dismissed the tool as ransomware, since its code stayed locked until backers paid up.
Some coders avoid ransomware on principle, refusing to pay just to see the source.
Note
Practice
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Origin
From the word "ransom" plus "-ware" (as in software).