What is a common characteristic of ransomware?

Ransomware is identified by its characteristic of demanding payment to restore access to locked or encrypted files. This malicious software typically encrypts the victim's files, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid to the attacker. The motivation behind this type of cyber threat is financial gain, as attackers leverage the urgency and distress of victims who wish to regain access to their important data.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the behavior exhibited by ransomware. Performance monitoring does not correspond to the functionalities of ransomware; rather, it relates to the assessment of system or application performance. User permissions, while important for various types of malware, do not inherently define ransomware, as some ransomware can operate without explicit user consent once executed. Lastly, while spam filters serve an essential role in cybersecurity by filtering unwanted emails, they are not related to the operations of ransomware, which is focused on data encryption and extortion rather than managing email traffic.