Make a decision with BKA
BSI advises all municipalities not to pay ransom for ransomware ransomware. Officials and authorities keep a lot of user data. So is your data at risk for not talking to blackmail?
Together with BKA and the local umbrella organization, BSI decided not to pay the ransom. (Source: Federal Office of Information Security)
In a press release, the Federal Information Security Agency (BSI) advised all municipalities not to pay ransom for ransomware attacks. With this cyber attack, the hard disk and data records are encrypted. Then a lot of money is needed to decrypt the data.
As with the report requested by BSI, it is known that the municipalities paid the decryption fee in 2016. In many cases, companies send money. Along with the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) and local umbrella organizations, it has now been decided to refuse payment in future attacks.
Why you should never pay a ransom
Basically, there is no guarantee that the data will actually be decrypted after payment. In addition, payments did not relieve the company of its responsibility to reward and finance criminal acts. Instead, criminals can use payments to identify who may be willing to pay further and who also has vulnerable IT systems with sensitive data.
What exactly is ransomware? theme Terms like Petya or WannaCry are quite disturbing in the media, as they briefly disrupt many companies. Ransomware is more dangerous than ever, but what exactly can ransomware do? Overview
BSI also announced that joint decisions should also set an example. Authorities want to inform municipalities that blackmail is not possible.
Sacrifice our data to make a mark?
Since the authorities also store citizen data, the personal data of multiple citizens is also encrypted. Ransomware such as "Nemty" also spreads malicious programs that, if not paid, publish leaked data on the Internet. Is the refusal to pay the ransom borne by citizens?
In this regard, BSI drew attention to the importance of preventive protective measures. Authorities need to protect their data through backups, protect their IT systems, and adequately segment their networks to avoid possible attacks or minimize damage. The release of data can still be a huge danger for those affected.
What is your opinion on the decision not to pay the ransom under any circumstances? Let us know what you think in the above survey. If you are unsure of the security of data in administrations and agencies, information about data protection can usually be found on the respective websites of the agencies. In addition, due to the GDPR, each agency must identify a data protection officer who can provide you with more detailed information about personal data protection measures.
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