WASHINGTON — Hackers are stepping up efforts to turn their exploits into cold cash, locking a user’s data unless a ransom is paid, a report found on Tuesday.In the fourth quarter of 2015, so-called ransomware increased 26% quarter-over-quarter, according to Intel Security.One single ransomware campaign last year netted $325m, according to researchers.The report did not estimate the overall value of ransomware, but the report found some six million attempts to install such malware, which encrypts the contents of a computer and locks the data down unless the user pays a ransom to obtain a decryption key.Steve Grobman, chief technical officer at Intel Security, said the practice is growing due to several factors — easy access to the software, criminal networks which offer the service, and the difficulty of tracking down culprits who can hide in anonymous networks."In many ways this is a more lucrative business model than traditional forms of cybercrime," Mr Grobman said."And now we are...
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