3 most common types of cyber extortions

Signed by: Carlota Gatius

Cyber extortion is an increasingly common problem. In the digital context, people tend to share a lot of personal information online, which can be captured and used to carry out criminal activities. Often, cyber extortion is conducted to demand large sums of money from individuals or companies in exchange for retrieving resources or preventing the release of sensitive information. Below, we explain the most common types of cyber extortion today and how they work.

Cybercriminals, often referred to as hackers, are individuals or groups who seek to illegally access confidential data or IT systems belonging to individuals or companies. In this context, cyber extortion occurs when a hacker demands money or another type of reward in exchange for restoring access or halting an attack.

In other words, cyber extortion refers to attacks in which the attacker promises to stop their actions in exchange for payment or other benefits. These attacks typically begin before the hacker contacts the victim and may cease once the reward has been delivered. However, in many cases, the attacker does not keep their promise even after receiving the demanded compensation.

Based on the above, we can identify several common types of cyber extortion. The most frequent today are the following:

One of the most common forms of cyber extortion involves ransomware or data hijacking. This is a type of malware used by hackers to infect victims’ devices, blocking functionality and preventing access. Often, these attacks exploit system vulnerabilities to encrypt a large number of files.

The most common infiltration techniques target email (via phishing), insecure websites, or what is known as cybersquatting. By blocking access to systems and files, companies or individuals are forced to pay a ransom to continue their operations.

Another common type is the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This method is often used to mask data theft by overwhelming a network with fake service requests, preventing real users from gaining access. It is typically carried out through a network of infected servers or by using memcaching, which causes server failures.

Beyond the immediate loss of service and customer access, DDoS attacks result in downtime that pushes clients toward competitors—causing future revenue losses.

In many cases, using the same ransomware mechanisms, attackers copy information from computers or other devices under the threat of exposing it. This is particularly risky for companies and organizations that could see their operations, integrity, and digital reputation compromised due to data leaks. Attackers typically demand a ransom to prevent the dissemination of this information.

Although these types of attacks are becoming increasingly frequent, there are several practices that can help prevent them:

If you fall victim to this kind of attack and suffer a data breach, it is crucial to act quickly to manage the reputational crisis that may follow, minimizing the impact.

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