Ransomware has evolved from early floppy disk infections in 1989 to today’s sophisticated attacks involving nation-states, affiliate models, and massive payouts. Key milestones include CryptLocker encrypting files in 2013, ransomware-as-a-service in 2015, and major incidents like WannaCry, NotPetya, and REvil. By 2021, attacks on Kaseya, JBS, and Colonial Pipeline showed the scale of disruption, while schools and municipalities remain frequent targets. Last year, 78 percent of attacks were email-based, 68 percent infections, and 58 percent led to payments. Defense requires layered strategies including user training, timely updates, backups, forensics, and advanced safeguards to resist, respond, and recover.

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