The economics of kidnapping

How the criminal underworld operates the ransom business.
Philippine soldiers walk along a highway as they return to camp after an armed encouter with members of militant kidnap-for-ransom group, Abu Sayyaf, in the Sulu province on the southern island of Mindanao on August 26, 2016.
STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

Ransomware: Should businesses pay up?

May 16, 2017
Hackers are holding up businesses for ransom. To pay or not to pay? That is the question.
An IT researchers shows on a giant screen a computer infected by a ransomware.
DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty Images

Your computer’s security updates may be annoying, but they’re crucial

May 15, 2017
The ransomware known as WannaCry has affected individuals and companies worldwide. Could it have been prevented?
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images