Somewhere -- right now -- countless cybercriminals are planning ransomware attacks and have likely been planning each attack for weeks or even months.

At any given time hundreds of companies could have ransomware cybercriminals invisibly hiding in their network and planning their next move.

It’s a common misconception that ransomware attackers quickly deploy and then retreat, so they remain anonymous. If you ask most victims of a ransomware attack, this is likely their assumption. On the contrary, ransomware attacks can range from only one day to up to multiple years—that is to say, attackers indeed do not flee the scene after their initial attack.

According to TechRepublic, the CFO of a small company in Kentucky fell victim to a ransomware attack. Through an interview with the CFO, TechRepublic was able to reveal why the company chose to pay the ransom (in Bitcoin) to regain control of their systems.