Which statement about ransomware is TRUE?

• A. Ransomware is a classification of malware designed to simplify or automate online criminal activities.
• B. Ransomware is a program or command procedure that gives the appearance of being useful but in fact contains hidden malicious code that causes damage.
• C. Ransomware is a form of malware that locks a user's operating system and restricts access to data files until a payment is made.
• D. Ransomware is a type of software that collects and reports information about a computer user without the user's knowledge or consent.

Answer: (C)

Ransomware is a type of malware whose defining behavior is to deny you access to your data or system and demand payment to restore access. It achieves this by locking the operating system or by encrypting files so you can’t open them, making the data effectively unavailable until you pay the attacker. This goal of extorting money through withholding access is what sets ransomware apart from other malware.

The other descriptions don’t capture that specific function. One describes malware as a broad tool for criminal activity, which is too general and not about locking data for ransom. Another describes a Trojan that merely masquerades as something useful but hides malicious code, which fits a different attack style. The last describes spyware that secretly collects user information, which is a surveillance threat rather than a ransom-based one.

So, the true statement highlights the core behavior of ransomware: locking access to data or the device itself and demanding payment to regain that access.