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Your business is in the balance... Cybercriminals have encrypted your data and you can't access ANYTHING. Your business has come to a grinding halt.

The hackers have informed you that if you pay, you can claim the money back on your insurance, and they will give you your data back.

Think about it... WOULD YOU PAY?

Is it legal to pay?
In the UK (and many other countries) paying a ransom itself is NOT automatically a criminal offence. However... Keep this in mind.

You will be funding organised crime - drugs, guns, human trafficking, terrorism
You have no guarantee they will give you access to your files again (you're dealing with criminals - they don't play fair!)
You will be placed on a 'suckers list' - Because you paid, you will be targeted for future attacks

So... WOULD YOU PAY?
In all honesty, if you call the police they will advise you not to, but it's down to you... So knowing the above, YOU need to make a conscious decision (and one that is a moral dilemma), and decide if you want to negotiate with criminals, knowing that your money is going to be used for a host of much darker crimes.

This is the harsh reality in which we all live, and decisions that companies are having to make every day.

Here's my advice

Prevention is better than cure - Make sure you have implemented the basics in Cyber Hygiene (contact me for a list of what this is)
Back-up your data - In 3 different places, on 2 different formats and 1 must be 'off-line' (e.g. on an external hard drive, not constantly attached to your network)
Have a plan - Walk through the above scenario with your business leaders and write down a list of actions you would take if this happened to you.

Don't assume this will never happen to you. It could and it has happened to thousands of businesses and individuals.

If you're concerned about this topic and need more information, or would like my 'Cyber Hygiene Checklist', please get in touch with me.

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Cross County Member Meeting - 17 Dec 2025

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