Demanding payment to prevent or halt some type of attack describes which term?

Demanding payment to prevent or halt some type of attack describes which term?

• A. Disinformation
• B. Extortion
• C. Blackmail
• D. Fraud

Answer: (B)

Demanding payment to prevent or halt an attack is extortion. Extortion uses a threat of harm or disruption to force someone to pay. In cybersecurity, attackers may threaten to continue or escalate an attack, release stolen data, or disable services unless ransom is paid. This distinguishes it from disinformation (spreading false information), fraud (deceptive practices for financial gain without a direct threat of attack), and blackmail (threats to reveal embarrassing information to coerce payment). The defining idea is coercing payment through the threat of continuing harm, which is exactly what extortion describes, with ransomware being a typical real-world example.

Demanding payment to prevent or halt an attack is extortion. Extortion uses a threat of harm or disruption to force someone to pay. In cybersecurity, attackers may threaten to continue or escalate an attack, release stolen data, or disable services unless ransom is paid. This distinguishes it from disinformation (spreading false information), fraud (deceptive practices for financial gain without a direct threat of attack), and blackmail (threats to reveal embarrassing information to coerce payment). The defining idea is coercing payment through the threat of continuing harm, which is exactly what extortion describes, with ransomware being a typical real-world example.