# ransomware

Pronunciation: say "RAN-suhm-wair" US /ˈɹænsəmˌwɛɹ/, UK /ˈɹænsəmˌwɛə/

## Noun

1. Malicious software that locks up a computer user's data and demands payment to restore access.
   - Simple: Harmful software that locks your files until you pay money to get them back.
   - _The attack used ransomware to encrypt the firm's files and demand a large payment._
   - _Security teams warned that ransomware was targeting hospitals across the region._
2. Software whose makers will open up its source code only once they have been paid for it.
   - Simple: Software whose code is shared openly only after enough people have paid for it.
   - _The community accused the studio of shipping ransomware when it gated its source behind a paywall._
   - _He called the release ransomware because the promised open license never appeared without payment._

## Origin

Formed from "ransom" combined with the suffix "-ware", as found in "software".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ransomware (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).