In days of old, pirates were hardy seagoing folk who overtook ships, pillaged, and plundered. Sometimes they took hostages and held them for ransom. These days, criminals don’t even need to leave their house to pillage and plunder - technology has made it possible to steal from people all over the world. They can even take your computer hostage and ask you for ransom. Welcome to the age of ransomware. It's important to learn about the dangers of ransomware and be able to protect yourself online.