You receive an email from an outside party stating that the client computers on your network have been encrypted and that the only way to decrypt them is to send Bitcoin to a hacker calling themselves "Zero Cool." Your company has fallen victim to a/an:
A ransomware attack is a type of malware that locks or encrypts a victim's data and withholds the decryption key until a ransom-often in cryptocurrency-is paid. This scenario describes exactly that behavior, so ransomware is the correct choice.
Man-in-the-Middle attacks intercept or alter communications but do not typically encrypt a victim's data for ransom.
A rootkit conceals privileged access for an attacker rather than announcing itself and demanding payment.
Phishing is a social-engineering tactic to trick users into giving up credentials or installing malware, but it does not itself encrypt data and demand payment.
Therefore, "Ransomware attack" is the best answer.
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