The Latest Cybersecurity Threat: Pay Us or We Release the Data

September 7, 2021 – Article posted on Wall Street Journal (article is behind a paywall)

The Wall Street Journal’s Catherine Strupp spoke with GuidePoint Security’s Principal Threat Intelligence Analyst, Drew Schmitt, about how ransomware threats have evolved from decrypting data to releasing sensitive data to the public.

“It can be a difficult and lengthy process to determine what hackers might publish,” says Schmitt, who negotiates with ransomware groups on behalf of victims.

Ransomware experts maintain profiles of known hacker groups and assess their previous behavior when determining a negotiating strategy, Mr. Schmitt says. For instance, knowing whether a particular hacker group is likely to tolerate a longer negotiation could help experts plan and avoid angering the attackers, he says.

Read More HERE (article is behind a paywall).