Ransomware attacks started picking up in 2012, and since then, it has become the most pervasive cyber-attacks across the world. The first known ransomware attack was carried out in 1989 by an AIDS researcher, Joseph Popp, who distributed malicious 20,000 floppy disks to AIDS researchers spanning more than 90 countries, claiming that the disks contained a survey program. In later years, attackers changed their strategy to capitalize on fear by spreading faking applications and antivirus programs. Over 124,00 interactive sessions with ransomware were analyzed online only in 2020. One of the ways to protect from attacks is awareness.
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2021/02/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html