[flyGuyOnTheSly]

They are demanding a ransom, but Ransomware has a commonly accepted definition which requires encrypting files and demanding payment to decrypt them. [0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware

[tompazourek]

They are not demanding ransom. Ransom is (per Merriam Webster): "a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity".

They copied the data, and they want money otherwise they will release it. It's ordinary blackmail.

[bigbubba]

Perhaps you could say they are ransoming the exclusive ownership of the data. But yes, 'blackmail' seems like a better fit.

[zimpenfish]

The very first sentence of that link would include this under "ransomware"

> Ransomware is a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.

(added emphasis)

[flyGuyOnTheSly]

That's a single sentence pulled from a very long definition, though.

Here's the third sentence from that very same paragraph:

>It encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them.

Not everything can be explained in a single sentence.