NE Wisconsin experts explain ransomware cyberattacks and how you can protect yourself from hackers Ransomware cyberattacks aim to control a victim's computer and steal personal information. The hacker usually wants a person to pay money to get their data back. and last updated 2021-05-11 23:40:25-04 GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- It's the type of threat that's shut down an entire U.S. pipeline, leaving gasoline prices and supply in question. But University of Wisconsin-Green Bay professor Gaurav Bansal says these attacks happen every day. RELATED STORIES "Somebody from outside the U.S. or anywhere in the world basically hacks into a company's system and then it kind of freezes it, Bansal said. "And then [the attacker] asks you to pay money. That's called ransomware."