Europol: Don’t Pay The Ransom

Europol, the European Union’s police agency, is celebrating the third anniversary of its No More Ransom initiative. The public-private partnership has helped over 200,000 ransomware victims recover their files with freely available online tools instead of paying a cryptocurrency ransom to hackers. The tools are available to everyone, and though nearly 10% of the website traffic came from the United States over the past three years, U.S. law enforcement has remained quiet about promoting alternatives to ransom payment. The F.B.I. has struggled to send a clear message to ransomware victims that victims should not pay ransom. Making ransomware unprofitable is effectively the only way to stop these criminals. Unfortunately the lack of public awareness around decryption tools available, and without law enforcement publicizing their existence, victims are often left feeling like the only choice is to pay the ransom, effectively keeping cybercriminals in business. To learn more about how Europol is promoting No More Ransom tools, and what the F.B.I. could potentially do to spread awareness in the U.S., visit here.