By now, most people know what ransomware is: malicious software that threatens to publish or erase its victims' data unless they pay a ransom. But with the surge in mobile device computing, it was inevitable that ransomware would adapt to find new victims.

Disguising itself as an invoice proved to be an effective approach for the original Locky ransomware, which infected millions of users in 2016. Although it was mostly defeated, hackers are currently using a similar approach to spreading a new type of malware.

Contrary to popular belief, Macs do get hacked. Although it doesn’t happen as frequently as it does on Windows PCs, Macs have been infected by worms, Trojan horses, and other forms of malware in the past decade. Recently, security researchers discovered a new spyware that has flown under the radar for several years.

Computer threats have been around for decades. In fact, one of the first computer viruses was detected in the early 70s. Technology has come a long way since then, but so have online threats: Spyware, ransomware, virus, trojans, and all types of malware designed to wreak havoc.

Although ransomware has stolen the limelight recently, there’s another type of cyberattack targeting your bank account. Thanks to some horrifying ingenuity, being infected by OSX.Dok can result in victims directly handing their bank account information to hackers.

The number of new malware being developed each day is alarming. If you think hundreds or thousands are a lot, try nearly one million. One that is extremely cunning goes by the name of CopyCat, which emerged in 2015 and has already infected millions of Android devices.

Nyetya, a variant of the Petya ransomware, is spreading across businesses all over the world. Although it shares the same qualities as WannaCry -- a ransomware deemed ‘one of the worst in history’ -- many cyber security experts are calling it a more virulent strain of malware that could cause greater damage to both small and large organizations.

When a Microsoft product reaches its “end-of-life,” the tech developer no longer provides feature updates, technical assistance, and automatic fixes for that product. Support for Windows XP, for instance, ended in April 2014. That said, recent malware attacks have caused Microsoft to continue support for their outdated operating system.

Employees today are working under tight timelines, but thanks to bring your own device policies (BYOD), they can access critical files and applications using their mobile device and get work done from anywhere. But BYOD can be a double-edged sword to those not vigilant about cyber attacks.

By now, you must have heard of the WannaCry ransomware. It ranks as one of the most effective pieces of malware in the internet’s history, and it has everyone worried about what’s coming next. To guard yourself, the best place to start is with a better understanding of what made WannaCry different.