Should I Just Pay the Ransom? How to Recover After a Ransomware Attack

What Is Ransomware Attack?

Have you ever been the victim of a ransomware attack? If not, consider yourself lucky. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts your files and holds them ransom until you pay a fee (usually in cryptocurrency) to unlock them. Sometimes, the ransom demand is relatively low – a few hundred dollars or so. But other times, it can be much higher, reaching into the thousands of dollars.

Should I Just Pay the Ransom?

There are a few different schools of thought on this matter. Some people believe that you should just pay the ransom and be done with it. After all, it’s better to get your files back than to lose them forever, right? Others believe that paying the ransom only encourages these cybercriminals and that you should try to recover your files on your own.

So, what’s the right answer? Well, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It depends on a variety of factors, including the type of ransomware you’re dealing with and how much money you’re being asked to pay. However, in general, we believe that you should not pay the ransom. Here’s a couple of reasons why:

  1. Paying the ransom does not guarantee that you’ll get your files back. Even if you do pay the ransom, there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get your files back. In fact, there have been several instances where people have paid the ransom only to never hear from the cybercriminals again. If you do decide to pay, make sure you have a backup plan in place in case you don’t get your files back.

  2. They could just attack you again. Even if you do get your files back after paying the ransom, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. These cybercriminals now know that you’re willing to pay up, so they could just attack you again. And next time, they may demand even more money.

How to Recover From a Ransomware Attack Without Paying the Ransom

Restore your files from a backup.

This is by far the best option if you have a recent backup of your files. Just restore the backup and be done with it.

Use file recovery software.

There are some great file recovery programs out there that can help you recover your files without paying the ransom.

Try to decrypt your files

In some cases, you may be able to decrypt your files without paying the ransom. There are some free tools available that can do this for you.

Contact the ransomware developers

Believe it or not, there are some ransomware developers who are willing to help you recover your files…for a price. If you’re lucky, you might be able to get in contact with developers and negotiate a deal.

You can always just reformat your hard drive

This is definitely a last resort option, but if all else fails, you can always just start from scratch and reformat your hard drive.

Bottom line, we believe that you should not pay the ransom if you’ve been the victim of a ransomware attack. There are plenty of other options available that don’t involve giving into the demands of these criminals. Plus, by paying the ransom, you’re only encouraging them to continue their attacks.

If you have been the victim of a ransomware attack, contact ThrottleNet today. They specialize in managed cybersecurity solutions and can help you recover from an attack quickly and efficiently.