The threats facing U.S. companies from cyberattacks are constantly changing, and recent media reports suggest that the era of large-scale data breaches may be giving way to more localized attacks, which promise a faster payday for cybercriminals.

In 2017, "ransomware" became a household word with the "Wannacry" outbreak, which disabled more than 200,000 computers in approximately 150 countries. Since then, there have been other isolated and large-scale ransomware events — each locking businesses and individuals out of computers and other devices unless a timely "ransom" is paid.

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