{"id":12214,"date":"2016-05-26T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-05-26T13:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=12214"},"modified":"2020-04-10T03:32:35","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T07:32:35","slug":"why-you-dont-pay-ransomware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/why-you-dont-pay-ransomware\/12214\/","title":{"rendered":"Hospital learns the hard way why you don’t pay ransomware crooks"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you are sick, you head to the doctor. However, when your computer is suffering from an infection, you probably shouldn\u2019t ask for your doctor\u2019s advice. At Kaspersky Lab, we often harp on the fact that you should NOT<\/b> pay, if you become infected with ransomware.<\/p>\n

\"Hospital<\/a><\/p>\n

The reason has multiple facets; perhaps one of the biggest is that you can never trust a criminal. Unfortunately, Kansas Heart Hospital<\/a> had to learn that lesson the hard way. You see, they paid the ransom, but they gained access to only some of their files \u2014 and the crooks demanded more money.<\/p>\n

It is definitely not a great position for the hospital to be in, but at least they can serve as an example of why infected users should avoid paying to regain access to their files.<\/p>\n

Criminals, like ransomware, are constantly evolving. If they see you as an easy mark, you are as good as an ATM \u2014 which by the way can also be hacked<\/a> \u2014 lining their pockets to get files back.<\/p>\n

Kansas Heart Hospital has learned from its initial mistake in paying and is refusing to pay the new ransom<\/a>. The hospital also had plans in place that helped minimize the damage.<\/p>\n

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#Research<\/a> How educated is the #USA<\/a> and #Canada<\/a> on #ransomware<\/a>? https:\/\/t.co\/r8HjypI7gT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XHVyT6s78E<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kaspersky (@kaspersky) May 24, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n