Who would think that reading the news on the NY Times or BBC websites could get your computer encrypted with ransomeware? The weak link is advertising that comes from third parties.This may be the best argument in favor of using an ad-blocker in your browser. I use Ad Blocker Plus in Firefox. Ransomware is fast becoming a real problem on the Macintosh. Everyone should have Flash disabled or blocked in their browser so Flash cannot run automatically. You can re-enable Flash when you absolutely must see some video. And ALWAYS make sure your syst4em is up to date with all applicable patches – including your applications.