A. Your computer was infected and you lost access to all your files unless you pay a ransom, should you pay or not? It's important to lay out all of the options you could pursue and the risks and benefits.
Option 1. Search Online For A Solution
You can searching online for a free tool that can decrypt your files. But the chances of success are extremely slim. Even if a solution to a previous type of ransomware is available, attackers learn from their mistakes and have likely used a more advanced form of the scheme on you.
Option 2.Calling Law Enforcement Officers
Unfortunately, there's very little that the FBI, for example, can do to resolve an individual ransomware incident. But reporting the crime can help put it on the authorities' radar, so they can work on a solution for future cases.
Option 3. Pay the Ransom
Depending on what those files contain, paying the ransom may be worth it to you. However, you need to be ready for one of the following two options"
- Outcome 1: You get your files back. Time to celebrate? Not so fast. From the cyber criminal's perspective, he or she just found a paying customer. Now you're a prime target for another ransomware attack.
- Outcome 2: You don't get your files back. Remember: you have no leverage. No one is forcing the criminals to hold up their end of the deal. Even if the attackers are "honorable," you can never be sure that the ransomware will keep your files intact.
Option 4. You Don't Pay
Maybe you think the attacker is bluffing, but If you can't access your files, the attacker isn't bluffing. Or maybe you've decided that the price tag for your data is too high.
- Outcome 1: You're granted a time extension . . . and a price change. Some attackers penalize you for waiting up to their deadline and then not paying. They give you a second chance but increase the ransom. Others realize that you won't take the bait, so they cut you a deal in an attempt to take what they can get. If so, you'll be back to deciding between paying and not paying.
- Outcome 2: You don't get your files back. On the bright side, you didn't contribute to one of the worst cyber threats we're facing today. Plus, those attackers won't see you as a receptive victim and may leave you alone in the future.
In our next blog post, we will discuss three relatively simple precautions you can take to prevent such a costly scenario in the future.