A Systematic Study on Ransomware Attack: Types, Phases and Recent Variants

The rise of ransomware attacks presents a major cybersecurity threat, leading to considerable financial losses and disrupting crucial operations across diverse sectors. In-depth research on the field of ransomware assaults is presented in this study, with particular attention to the various kinds and variations that have appeared throughout time. This research includes a thorough examination of the strategies, processes, and methods that ransomware perpetrators use to carry out their operations. The study outlines the many stages in the lifecycle of ransomware attacks, including the introduction of infection vectors, the use of encryption tools, and the last step of extortion. The research also explores the terrain of ransomware variations, recognizing the evolution and diversity of these threats throughout time. With a taxonomy that categorizes variations depending on their dissemination methods, encryption algorithms, and evasion approaches.