Kaspersky Lab has revealed a new study that shows almost 50% of customers do not know what is ransomware. A similar 44% admitted that they do not know what data or information could be stolen the a ransomware attack.

For the study, Kaspersky Lab surveyed over 4,000 U.S. and 1,000 Canadian consumers aged 16 and older. The results showed that only a small number (16%) of consumers mentioned ransomware as a cyber threat they were worried about, compared to their concern of viruses, spyware and Trojans. Moreover, it’s not a clear concern for even those of a tech-savvy generation: only 13 percent of Millennials said they were worried about ransomware in general. As a malware that can restrict access to a computer system so it becomes difficult or impossible to access, ransomware has become a danger to individuals and businesses alike.

The survey found that 15 percent of Americans and 17 percent of Canadians think unplugging the computer or turning off the mobile device could stop it, with a small amount even believing negotiating with the attacker is the best way to stop the attack. The findings also indicated that the percentage of those surveyed who would not know what steps to take in a ransomware attack grew with increasing age, from 37 percent of those aged 16-34 to 54 percent of those aged 55+.

“The spread of ransomware has been caused by simplicity of monetization and impunity. In most cases, ransoms demanded in cryptocurrency (e.g. in bitcoins) makes it impossible to track the cybercriminal. We strongly recommend the victims not to pay, as it does not guarantee that cybercriminals will decrypt the files, and it does contribute to the development of this illegal business. Instead, we recommend users to be prepared for a situation like this in advance. Make regular backups using dedicated media and cloud storage, and use a reliable security solution, which does not allow malware to make its dirty work”, comments Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, Head of Anti-Malware team at Kaspersky Lab.