The Daily Stat: Hackers Make a Killing by Locking PCs and Demanding Money

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   AUTHORS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile DECEMBER 11, 2012 Hackers Make a Killing by Locking PCs and Demanding Money On a single day recently, a group of criminal hackers was successful in 93% of its attempts to infect personal computers, freezing 18,941 PCs and displaying messages demanding money, in most cases 100 euros, to unlock the machines, according to research reported in The New York Times. 15% of the victims paid, giving the criminals a one-day haul of more than $400,000. Even when payments are made, the hackers don't unlock the PCs. Source: For PC Virus Victims, Pay or Else Share Today's Stat: FEATURED PRODUCT Accelerating Change: A PowerPoint Presentation Based on the Work of John P. Kotter PowerPoint Presentation Tapped to lead a change initiative—and afraid it will fail like so many others? You have reason to worry: 70% of change efforts do fail. Here's how to beat those odds—with Accelerating Change, a premium, customizable PowerPoint presentation with detailed leader's notes. You'll help your team embrace John Kotter's proven change process. And save yourself weeks of slide deck creation time. Each slide has extensive talking points for the presenter. And we encourage you to customize the deck—add your logo, insert new slides specific to your organization, adjust existing slides (50 of the 82 slides can be edited), and add talking points. You'll be ready to present the proven 8-step process to your Executive Committee, your change team, and everyone else who needs to buy into your particular change effort. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Stat: BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR's Must Reads Library Set Guide to Persuasive Presentations Guide to Better Business Writing Guide to Getting the Right Work Done PREVIOUS STATS Will Your Firm Switch to Once-a-Year 401(k) Payments? Pain Makes You Indulge Afterward Mom and Dad's Attitude About Risk Affects Kids' Achievement Under-the-Table Is the Way to Get Public Contracts in China Companies' Political Activities Hurt Shareholder Value Materialism Underlies Singapore's Low Birth Rate Why Firms with Female Directors Make Fewer Financial Mistakes Is Paying Down the U.S. Debt a Worthy Cause? Consumers See Worn-Out Money as Yucky and Want to Spend It Raising Corporate Taxes Is Good, not Bad, for Jobs Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "The Daily Stat" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)