Cyber criminals only honour half of ransomware payments
Victims still don't get files decrypted after sending money, says new report


Paying money to cyber criminals following a ransomware attack is no guarantee that files will be decrypted, according to a new report.
Imperva's CyberEdge Group's fifth annual Cyberthreat Defense Report found that 55% of respondents were compromised by ransomware in 2017, down from 61% in 2016. However, when infected by ransomware, out of the companies that paid the ransomware, 49% recovered their data while 51% lost their data.
The research questioned 1,200 IT security decision makers and practitioners from 17 countries and 19 industries. It found that out of the companies that refused to pay the ransom, 87% recovered their data, 13% lost their data.
"Just over half of the survey respondents admitted that following a ransomware infection they still lost their data even though they paid the fine," said Terry Ray, CTO at Imperva.
"This highlights the reality that there is no guarantee a company will get their data back if they pay the ransom. Companies therefore need to stop ransomware attacks from the very beginning, before the encryption of data takes place. The best way to prevent an attack is to immediately detect ransomware file access behaviours before the ransomware spreads across the network and encrypts file servers. Once detected, you can quarantine impacted users, devices and systems."
The report also revealed that for the first time in five years, the percentage of organisations affected by a successful cyber attack decreased, dropping from 79% in 2016 to 77% in 2017. Furthermore, the number of organisations victimised by six or more successful attacks fell from 33% in 2016 to 27% in 2017.
Respondents also highlighted an IT security skills deficit. For the first time in five years, lack of skilled personnel outdid low security awareness among employees as IT security's greatest inhibitor to success. In 2018, four in five organisations are experiencing an IT security skills shortage.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
"The security skills shortage is well-documented so this isn't a surprise. However, to help overcome deficiencies in their human teams, organisations can bolster their cyber defences and bridge the skills gap using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). ML software can perform preventative and analytical security processes and can detect threats at a much greater speed than humans, helping to prevent attacks," said Ray.
Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.
-
Cisco takes aim at AI security at RSAC with ServiceNow partnership
News The companies claim Cisco AI Defense and ServiceNow SecOps will help address new challenges raised by AI
By Jane McCallion
-
Why veterans can excel in data centers – and could help the IT sector address its skill shortages
In-depth Ex-military workers can bring software and hardware to civilian roles
By John Loeppky
-
Ransomware attacks are rising — but quiet payouts could mean there's more than actually reported
News Ransomware attacks continue to climb, but they may be even higher than official figures show as companies choose to quietly pay to make such incidents go away.
By Nicole Kobie
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the last
News Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
By Ross Kelly
-
‘Phishing kits are a force multiplier': Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25 – and experts warn it’s lowering the barrier of entry for amateur hackers
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott
-
Healthcare systems are rife with exploits — and ransomware gangs have noticed
News Nearly nine-in-ten healthcare organizations have medical devices that are vulnerable to exploits, and ransomware groups are taking notice.
By Nicole Kobie
-
Alleged LockBit developer extradited to the US
News A Russian-Israeli man has been extradited to the US amid accusations of being a key LockBit ransomware developer.
By Emma Woollacott
-
February was the worst month on record for ransomware attacks – and one threat group had a field day
News February 2025 was the worst month on record for the number of ransomware attacks, according to new research from Bitdefender.
By Emma Woollacott
-
CISA issues warning over Medusa ransomware after 300 victims from critical sectors impacted
News The Medusa ransomware as a Service operation compromised twice as many organizations at the start of 2025 compared to 2024
By Solomon Klappholz
-
Warning issued over prolific 'Ghost' ransomware group
News The Ghost ransomware group is known to act fast and exploit vulnerabilities in public-facing appliances
By Solomon Klappholz