With easy-to-use ransomware toolkits hitting the cybercrime market and more sophisticated hackers using novel attack strategies, companies should have a firm grasp of the current risks of ransomware and the measures they can take to proactively mitigate those risks. They also need to create an effective, comprehensive response plan if attacked. In this two-part article series, legal and technical experts share their insights on how to prepare for ransomware threats with effective cyber hygiene and planning. This first part covers the current methods of attack and their risks as well as prevention techniques and how to be prepared for the inevitability of one of these attacks. Part two will address effective response measures including bringing in the experts to understand what happened and why, and whether to pay a ransom. It will also look at how cryptocurrency is changing the landscape. See “Defending Against the Rising Threat of Ransomware in the Wake of WannaCry” (May 31, 2017).