The threat not only causes extreme disruption, but in some cases, can also mean the loss of personal or private files forever

There is news that the Ukraine energy ministry website has been hit with ransomware. Following this, Eva Prokofiev, senior threat intelligence analyst at CyberProof, said: “Ransomware attacks are relatively easy to build and execute and they can have a very good return for threat actors.

"Any organisation looking to protect their digital assets from ransomware should ensure they are adequately communicating the threat to board members and executives to ensure proper investment in proactive cyber defence, rather than wait for the company to come under attack.”

Mark James, security specialist at ESET, said: “Ransomware attacks are one of the most talked about malware forms doing the rounds today. The threat not only causes extreme disruption, but in some cases, can also mean the loss of personal or private files forever.

"Any organisation that opts to pay the ransom should understand that their money could end up funding further illegal illicit services or products, and because you have let the attackers know you are willing to pay, you are also highly likely to receive further attacks.

"Offline or hardware point-in-time backups are the only 100 percent way to recover from a ransomware attack. Yes, you might get your files back if you pay the ransom and yes you might be lucky enough to win the lottery tonight but sadly the odds are not in your favour.”