Which of the following describes malware in which rogue software code effectively holds a user's computer hostage until a fee is paid?

Ransomware refers to a type of malware that encrypts a user's files or entire system, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid to the attacker. This kind of malicious software often displays a message to the user, informing them that their data has been compromised and instructing them on how to pay the ransom, usually in cryptocurrency, to regain access to their information.

The distinguishing characteristic of ransomware is its extortionate nature, which holds data hostage, creating a dire situation for the victim, who may feel they have no choice but to pay the ransom to retrieve their important files or regain control of their system. This contrasts with other types of attacks, such as DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), which aims to overwhelm a system by flooding it with traffic, or SQL injection and command injection, which focus on exploiting vulnerabilities in applications or databases rather than extorting money from users.