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