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[...]the SQL Slammer worm used a (patched) vulnerability in Microsoft SQL to incur buffer overflows on nearly every unpatched SQL server connected to the internet in about 10 minutes, a speed record that still stands today. 3. According to some studies, about a quarter of the victims pay the ransom, and of those, about 30 percent still do not get their files unlocked. The vast majority of malware exists to steal money — directly out of a bank account or indirectly by stealing passwords or identities. Often, I'll boot Microsoft Windows into Safe Mode or through another method, remove the suspected stealth component (sometimes by just renaming it), and run a good antivirus scanner a few times to clean up the remainders after the stealth part is removed.