What happens if you don’t pay the ransom?
The short answer is: not much.
In most cases, if you don’t pay the ransom, the attacker will simply move on to their next target. They may come back and try again later, but usually, they will just move on.
There are a few cases where not paying the ransom can lead to more serious consequences. For example, if you are the victim of a ransomware attack that encrypts your files, not paying the ransom may mean that you will never be able to access those files again. This is why it’s important to have good backups in place before an attack happens.
In rare cases, the attacker may delete your files if you don’t pay the ransom. This is usually only done if the attacker is confident that you don’t have a backup.
Overall, not paying the ransom is usually the best course of action. Attackers are usually just looking for quick money and will move on if they don’t get it. Additionally, paying the ransom only encourages attackers and funds their future attacks..Citation
What should you do if you think you’re being ransomware?
There’s no one definitive answer to this question – it depends on the situation and how confident you are that you can remove the ransomware yourself. However, in general, the following steps should be taken:
1. Disconnect from the internet. This will prevent the ransomware from encrypting any more of your files and prevent it from spreading to other devices on your network.
2. Identify which files have been encrypted. This can be done by looking for files with unusual extensions or ones that can’t be opened.
3. Try to restore your files from backups. If you have recent backups, this is the best way to recover your files without paying the ransom.
4. Use a ransomware removal tool. There are a number of tools available that can attempt to decrypt your files. However, success is not guaranteed and you may need to pay for a subscription.
5. Contact the ransomware developers. In some cases, you may be able to get a decryptor directly from the people who created the ransomware. This is only recommended if you are confident you can trust them.
6. Pay the ransom. This should only be considered as a last resort and you should only pay if you’re confident you will get a decryptor. Be aware that there is no guarantee you will get your files back even if you do pay.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about ransomware. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.