In recent years , ransomware has become a growing concern for companies in every industry . Between April 2015 and March 2016 , the number of individuals affected by ransomware surpassed 2 million — a 17.7 % increase from the previous year . Ransomware attacks function by breaching systems , usually through infected email , and locking important files or networks until the user pays a specified amount of money . According to FBI statistics cited in a Malwarebytes report , hackers gained more than $ 209 million from ransomware payments Attack.Ransom in the first three months of 2016 , putting ransomware on track to rake in nearly $ 1 billion this year . But as a result of increased ransom-avoidance , cybercriminals have created an even more insidious threat . Imagine malware that combines ransomware with a personal data leak Attack.Databreach : this is what the latest threat , doxware , looks like . With doxware , hackers hold computers hostage Attack.Ransom until the victim pays the ransom Attack.Ransom , similar to ransomware . But doxware takes the attack further by compromising Attack.Databreach the privacy of conversations , photos , and sensitive files , and threatening to release them publicly unless the ransom is paid Attack.Ransom . Because of the threatened release , it 's harder to avoid paying the ransom Attack.Ransom , making the attack Attack.Ransom more profitable for hackers . In 2014 , Sony Pictures suffered an email phishing malware attack Attack.Phishing that released Attack.Databreach private conversations between top producers and executives discussing employees , actors , industry competitors , and future film plans , among other sensitive topics . And ransomware attacks Attack.Ransom have claimed a number of recent victims , especially healthcare systems , including MedStar Health , which suffered a major attack Attack.Ransom affecting 10 hospitals and more than 250 outpatient centers in March 2016 . Combine the data leak Attack.Databreach of Sony and the ransomware attack Attack.Ransom on MedStar and you can see the potential fallout from a doxware attack . Doxware requires strategic , end-to-end planning , which means hackers will target their victims more deliberately . Looking at the data leaked Attack.Databreach from Sony , it 's easy to imagine the catastrophic effect doxware would have on an executive of any major corporation . Company leaders hold countless conversations over email each day on sensitive topics ranging from product development to competition to internal politics , and if there 's a doxware attack , the fallout could be extensive . Expect Things to Get WorseThe technology behind doxware is still new , but expect the problem to become worse . Recent attacks have been contained to Windows desktop computers and laptops , but this will certainly change . Once the malware can infiltrate mobile devices , the threat will become even more pervasive , with text messages , photos , and data from apps at risk for being leaked Attack.Databreach . It 's also highly likely that doxware will target more types of files . Workplace emails are currently a big target for hackers . However , a company 's internal communications/instant messaging network is also appealing to hackers using doxware , as the messaging network often serves as a platform where both sensitive business discussion and casual conversations take place , potentially exposing both company secrets and personally embarrassing exchanges . One of these variants hold files ransom Attack.Ransom with the threat of release and then steals Attack.Databreach a victim 's passwords . Another mutation , Popcorn Time , takes doxware even further giving victims the option to infect two of their friends with the malware instead of paying the ransom Attack.Ransom .