Malware that takes computers hostage until users pay a ransom is getting meaner. Thanks to the growing prevalence of Bitcoin and other digital payment systems, it’s easier than ever for online crooks to capitalize on these “ransomware” schemes. An Ars reader who fixes PCs for a living recently helped a client repair the damage inflicted by a particularly nasty title known as CryptoLocker. By the time the malware had run its course, hundreds of gigabytes worth of company data was no longer available.”]

