Email phishing is a social engineering technique that uses email to deceive end users into providing sensitive information, such as:
Passwords
Social Security numbers
Payment card numbers
It’s also one of the main delivery methods of a ransomware attack.
A phishing email will typically use a Word, Excel, or PDF attachment to carry the ransomware program; it infects the target’s computer when you open it.
Some ransomware variants, such as WannaCry and Petya, could infect multiple systems at once and disable an organization’s operations for days, and sometimes even weeks.