In the beginning, ransom demands were typically a few hundred dollars because the targets were still mostly home users. Victims of ransomware would pay with standard currency, meaning the criminals responsible had a much greater chance of being identified. The rise of cryptocurrencies—digital currencies based on anonymity and encryption—has seen a reversal of fortune for these attackers. Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin make transactions nearly impossible to trace, allowing bad actors to cover their tracks. Read more.