ZDNet
Over half of organisations would pay the ransom if they fell victim to a ransomware attack – despite repeated warnings that they shouldn’t encourage cyber criminal extortion.
Research by the Neustar International Security Council (NISC) found that six in ten organisations would pay cyber criminals for the decryption key in the event of a ransomware attack, according to its survey of 300 workers in ‘senior positions’.
That’s despite the likes of The White House, the UK Home Office, law enforcement and cybersecurity experts warning that paying the ransom should be avoided because it signals to ransomware operations that their extortion schemes work.
High profile victims of ransomware attacks who have paid ransoms recently include Colonial Pipeline, which paid over $4 million in Bitcoin to cyber criminals using DarkSide ransomware, while meat processor JBS paid $11 million in Bitcoin to criminals who compromised its network with REvil ransomware.
These incidents have seemingly forced business to take notice, with 80 percent of cybersecurity professionals surveyed for the research stating that more emphasis is being placed on protecting against the threat of ransomware.