Ransomware has exploded in the last few years and

evolved from simple attacks to complex malware.

It used to be that restoring from a backup would

wipe away the problem, but some ransomware

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Part of the evolution in ransomware is due to an

NSA tool known as “EternalBlue” being leaked and

then incorporated by the bad guys, but I digress.

Ransomware found its earliest targets with

individuals like you and me: poor souls who clicked

the wrong link in an email. But ransomware

became an epidemic when it started showing up in

hospitals and government computers. The city of

Baltimore and the Port of San Diego are just two of

the most recent examples of major organizations

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struggling to recover.

If you’re a regular person, it’s hard but not

catastrophic to walk away from a ransomware-

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family photos, and home videos is incalculable, but

it’s not a life-or-death situation. Ransomware in

hospitals and city transit systems raises the stakes.

These (often woefully out of date and poorly

protected) computer systems have to work.

I still believe paying the ransom is never the

answer.

SO WHY NOT PAY UP?

First, most cyberattacks—including ransomware—

don’t last long. The command and control servers

that issue the unlock commands and receive

Max Eddy

@wmaxeddy