Understanding and Protecting Your Business from Cyber Extortion

Cyber extortion, the subject of this short video, is a form of cybercrime in which attackers threaten to damage your business by compromising its data and digital assets unless a ransom is paid. Most often this involves ransomware, which encrypts your data so you can’t access it until you pay. Some criminals go further, stealing data and threatening to publish it on dark web leak sites, a tactic known as double extortion.

The threat is especially relevant to smaller firms. A 2024 report found the number of victims had risen by 77% in a year, with small businesses four times more likely to be targeted than larger companies. That’s a real concern when smaller businesses often have fewer resources to defend themselves.