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Comment by _tom_ | Hacker News Reader

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_tom_·

Anyone else think we should make it illegal to pay ransom?

These people are just financing the next generation of cyber criminals.

Once people stop paying, people will stop attacking.

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It is already illegal in the US as of late 2020. But we know nothing really happens when corporations break the law.

https://cisomag.eccouncil.org/paying-ransom-is-now-illegal-u...

Only for sanctioned parties I believe — which would apply for any money transfers regardless of purpose. Most random criminal rw attackers are not going to be on a sanction list.

I think we should actually legalize ransomware. By that I mean create a government-ran national bug bounty program. All companies of a certain size are automatically included in it. Bounties are awarded based off severity, and bounties are paid for by fines to the companies hit.

Interesting idea. But what you're describing is absolutely not "ransomware."

No. Not with profit margins that high compared to operational cost, it would not be an effective deterrent. They will just continue to hit as many targets as possible. You would end up punishing the victims. What if they target some really critical infrastructure, where it would be rational to just pay and then fix the holes? Seek exemptions from law for each?

But it would be very interesting to see if the ransomware gangs can devise a scheme that gives the payer plausible deniability.

Yes, because criminals definitely follow the law.

No, you become a criminal by paying. You continue not being a criminal by not paying.

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