Cyberextortion is a pressure campaign that uses stolen data, stolen credentials, or unauthorized access to force a victim to pay. The attacker may threaten to leak files, keep systems locked, or continue disrupting services unless money is delivered. Unlike simple theft, the goal is leverage: the compromise becomes valuable because it can be used to coerce action.
It matters in cyber security because extortion turns an intrusion into an ongoing business model. A breach can expose sensitive employee records, customer data, or internal documents, and that exposure increases pressure on the target. In real attacks, cyberextortion often follows phishing, credential theft, or network intrusion, then combines with data exfiltration and public leak threats. Defenders reduce risk by limiting access, monitoring unusual data movement, keeping backups offline, and preparing incident response plans that address both containment and negotiation risks.