" " Nobody wants to get hit by a ransonmware attack. There are ways to protect your computer system and files up front and save yourself and your business a lot of time and money. Alexander Ryumin/TASS/Getty Images Ransomware is a type of malware (it's also known as ransom malware) that prevents a user from being able to access their computer system or personal files until a ransom payment is made, most often by cryptocurrency or credit card, in order to unblock the locked system and regain access. According to SafeAtLast, ransomware attacks will occur every 11 seconds in 2021 and businesses and individuals will pay an average ransom of $233,217, with global costs exceeding $20 billion.