Hostageware – Part 2 What we’ve been predicting for a year now has finally come to pass. The most pernicious malware today immobilizes an infected computer, encrypts its files and then demands a ransom to release them. If not paid within 12 hours or so, the computer’s content gets obliterated. To make sure the hapless victim gets the message, a bright red clock begins the count down. Being right is over-rated