FBI Encouraging Ransomware Victims To Report Infections
Summary
The agency, in tandem with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), issued a public service announcement on Thursday asking ransomware victims to come forward and share their stories. In April it urged individuals implement a robust back up and recovery plan and to be wary of suspicious attachments in emails. While the agency has always encouraged ransomware victims to contact their local FBI field office or file a complaint with the IC3, it wasn’t until this week that it explained exactly what sort of data it hopes to receive. The FBI took the moment to again remind the general public that it does not support paying a ransom to regain access to their data, pointing out that paying a ransom doesn’t guarantee victims will regain access to their data and that by doing so it incentivizes adversaries to target other victims for profit. Bales, who spoke alongside experts from PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ cybersecurity division and Charles River Associates during a later panel – “What Happens If You Become a Victim?” – said the ransomware has been a constant threat for the agency.