As Ransomware Blackmail Surges, Governments Mull a Ban on Paying Up
Ransomware attacks on small and medium-sized businesses have surged over the past two years, prompting some governments to begin investigating a ban on paying up for data recovery, Ars Technica reports. Although the evidence suggests that paying up just emboldens attackers, for affected companies with no clear alternative, it's often the more attractive option.
Ransomware has been a problem for businesses and individuals for years, but with the growth of AI hacking tools like WormGPT, FraudGPT, and BruteForceAI, ransomware is becoming more pervasive and harder to stop. The use of AI tools makes ransomware attacks faster and cheaper to conduct, increasing the return on investment and making it a more attractive vector for hackers.
Confirmed ransomware attacks rose close to 400% year-over-year in 2025, and they’re expected to rise again in 2026. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their file return systems, too. To encourage payments, files are...
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