While ransomware might be today's top cybercrime boogeyman, attackers aren't infallible. The latest example: Errors in DarkSide - and its BlackMatter rebrand - enabled security experts to quietly decrypt many victims' files for free, saving millions in potential ransom payments.
While ransomware might be today's top cybercrime boogeyman, attackers aren't infallible. The latest example: Errors in DarkSide - and its BlackMatter rebrand - enabled security experts to quietly decrypt many victims' files for free, saving millions in potential ransom payments.
Controls that just weren t in place that should have been there. then the cost here. i mean, when you have to pay the ransom, that s the debate now, right? to pay or not to pay. debate whether it should be illegal to pay up. i remember there was a study by one cybersecurity company, found that over half the ransomware victims pay the ransom, then only one-quarter see their full data returned. so even if you do pay, sounds like there s a good chance you don t get off lightly, it may not be worth it to pay. what s the right call here? right, so it s each individual organization has to make that decision for themselves. obviously as a security person, i recommend never paying the ransom. but it s not always just a security decision. but you re absolutely right. just because you ve paid the ransom doesn t mean your problems are over. your decrypter may not work. you may have to completely rewrite it. even then, even if everything works perfectly, you still have