US urging allies not to pay hacker ransoms

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Refusing to pay a ransom will either lead to a loss of data or a reduction in attacks

White House
(Image credit: David Everett Strickler / Unsplash)

Ahead of a meeting of global leaders in Washington, the US will push governments to combat ransomware by making a public statement to not pay hacker ransoms.

Ransomware has seen a gradual rise in use in attacks targeting banking institutions, government offices and hospitals.

No negotiation with cybercriminals

Ransomware is a form of malware that steals data and encrypts it before hackers request a fee for its safe return, or else the files will be deleted or sold. Ransomware has seen a gradual increase in its usage by hackers over the past few years.

Speaking to Bloomberg, deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said, “You’ve got to go to the root cause, the root cause is money.” Ransomware is one of the most profitable methods for hackers, mainly due to the ease of simply paying the ransom and continuing to operate, rather than losing important data.

If governments issue the statement to refuse to pay it is hoped that hackers will stop targeting critical infrastructure with such attacks. However, while Neuberger said that she is “incredibly hopeful” about the statement being accepted and issued by governments, there is a chance that the statement will be a discussion point rather than a pre-agreed affirmation.

Recent research into ransomware has found that while advances in cyber defenses are becoming more advanced, so too are hackers' abilities to deploy ransomware after a successful breach - falling from 4.5 days in 2022 to within a single day in 2023.

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.

Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with a robust academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations, and the ability to translate intricate security data into actionable insights.