Ransomware: 85% of Victims Would Say No to Paying Up

[Mihir :-)]

Content source

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-85-of-victims-would-say/

Ransomware continues to thrive, with a significant increase in detections of the malware from October 2015 to March 2016, according to ESET. But there's a long way to go when it comes to consumer education on the issue.

The firm’s recent survey of the attitudes and knowledge that individuals have about ransomware asked 3,000 respondents across the US and Canada a series of revealing questions. Encouragingly, about 85% of respondents said that they wouldn’t pay the ransom fee if faced with an infection.

But, the other stats show that they may not be aware of exactly what they were being asked. Almost a third (30%) said that they didn’t know what ransomware was. Younger people, aged 18-24, were less likely to know what it was and what it does (34% were in the dark), vs. older people: Only a quarter (25%) of those 65+ didn’t know what ransomware is.

"Despite the attacks we have seen, and the widespread reporting on ransomware in the news in recent months, many people still don't know what it is," said ESET senior security researcher Stephen Cobb.

Read More Ransomware: 85% of Victims Would Say No to Paying Up

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

Paying up, like most security experts say only encourages the criminals, and like they advise there is also no guarantee your files will be de-crypted .
Even if they were properly decrypted I think that i would have a very hard time trusting the integrity of the files after the attack.
Seeing I rely on Cloning I would just wipe the drive, reformat and go about my business never even considering paying the criminals.
Good Share.
PeAcE

 

[LabZero]

Some users do not know what a ransomware is.
It's for this reason that users should learn their technological limits before the infection reaches them and understand what is a ransomware, when it is too late...

 

[DJ Panda]

See it scares me that so many places like schools and buisnesses are being targeted. The school I went to probably couldn't afford basic protection against ransomeware.

 

[nemo183]

Ransomware continues to thrive, with a significant increase in detections of the malware from October 2015 to March 2016, according to ESET. But there's a long way to go when it comes to consumer education on the issue.

The firm’s recent survey of the attitudes and knowledge that individuals have about ransomware asked 3,000 respondents across the US and Canada a series of revealing questions. Encouragingly, about 85% of respondents said that they wouldn’t pay the ransom fee if faced with an infection.

But, the other stats show that they may not be aware of exactly what they were being asked. Almost a third (30%) said that they didn’t know what ransomware was. Younger people, aged 18-24, were less likely to know what it was and what it does (34% were in the dark), vs. older people: Only a quarter (25%) of those 65+ didn’t know what ransomware is.

"Despite the attacks we have seen, and the widespread reporting on ransomware in the news in recent months, many people still don't know what it is," said ESET senior security researcher Stephen Cobb.

Read More Ransomware: 85% of Victims Would Say No to Paying Up

Well, that's all fine and dandy, but pretty useless. When asked, by anonymous self-reporting, 60% of people claim they are doing the correct amount of exercise. If you measure what they're are actually doing, using wearable tech, the figure is 5%. (source: Department of Health)

People lie. They have a cognitive bias to respond to what they think is the cultural norm. Or, more simply, they tell you what they think you want to hear. Even when asked anonymously. To say these figures are encouraging means diddly squat - zero - nothing - zilch.

If somebody has the choice between handing over £150, or watching the total destruction of their family's irreplaceable photograph collection, from when they first had tiny children, saw them married, and more - let alone anything else - what on earth do you think they would do? Say "Foxtrot Oscar, you fiendish devil. I am man of principle. Do your worst"? No, I think they'd be finding out what a bitcoin actually is and where they could buy them, without a seconds hesitation. What would you choose?

What this survey does suggest is that either the guy that paid for it is a fool, or alternatively, he knew it would be widely picked up by the more gullible media. And maybe a few websites.

 

[nemo183]

Well, that's all fine and dandy, but pretty useless. When asked, by anonymous self-reporting, 60% of people claim they are doing the correct amount of exercise. If you measure what they're are actually doing, using wearable tech, the figure is 5%. (source: Department of Health)

People lie. They have a cognitive bias to respond to what they think is the cultural norm. Or, more simply, they tell you what they think you want to hear. Even when asked anonymously. To say these figures are encouraging means diddly squat - zero - nothing - zilch.

If somebody has the choice between handing over £150, or watching the total destruction of their family's irreplaceable photograph collection, from when they first had tiny children, saw them married, and more - let alone anything else - what on earth do you think they would do? Say "Foxtrot Oscar, you fiendish devil. I am man of principle. Do your worst"? No, I think they'd be finding out what a bitcoin actually is and where they could buy them, without a seconds hesitation. What would you choose?

What this survey does suggest is that either the guy that paid for it is a fool, or alternatively, he knew it would be widely picked up by the more gullible media. And maybe a few websites.

Having said all that, what I'm personally doing is making sure my back-up sysem is secure and working, and looking for some anti-ransomware software. Scares the bejeepers out of me.

 

[Noxx]

Having said all that, what I'm personally doing is making sure my back-up sysem is secure and working, and looking for some anti-ransomware software. Scares the bejeepers out of me.

Consider WinAntiRansom. One time fee of $29.95. Or, you could consider a system virtualization software like Shadow Defender. Both have faired extremely well in avoiding many ransomware infections. See Cruelsister's "More Fun With Ransomware" videos on YouTube.

 

[hjlbx]

I wouldn't pay a dime - just clean install my OS...

 

[Deleted member 178]

golden rule vs ransomwares : backup your system & datas

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

Macrium Reflect in one hand, while I give the finger to Ransomeware Authors with the other.

 

[hjlbx]

Actually, if it were one of the newer ransomware offering "technical support" to help users pay, then I would string them along with a whole bunch of fake technical issues for as long as I could...

 

[BoraMurdar]

Cumulative worth of all data encrypted on some important business computer could be more than the amount of ransom. That's why some people are deciding to pay. Of course, they can get one big nada from me

 

[Der.Reisende]

Actually, if it were one of the newer ransomware offering "technical support" to help users pay, then I would string them along with a whole bunch of fake technical issues for as long as I could...

Haha that would be awesome
Won't get any penny from me, 2. Just pick up my backups and clean install.

 

[frogboy]

They get nought from me also, i am well backed upped for such a situation as this.

 

[Jrs30]

Also not pay anything! My most important files are in the cloud! And passwords in my mind! Oh not to encrypt brain