A private-sector survey has found that over 200 companies in Japan have paid hackers to restore data encrypted by ransomware cyberattacks.
The Japan Institute for Promotion of Digital Economy and Community conducted a survey in January on damage caused by ransomware attacks. It obtained responses from 1,107 firms.
Among the respondents, 507 companies said they have been hit by ransomware attacks. Of them, 222 paid hackers to restore encrypted data.
Of the 222 firms, 139 said that even after paying the ransom, they were unable to restore their data or systems. That means over 60 percent paid in vain.
However, 141 other companies say they were able to restore their data or systems without paying the ransom.
Kobe University Professor Morii Masakatsu, a cybersecurity expert, says ransom payments do not guarantee that data or systems will be fully restored, and hackers may leak stolen information or demand additional payments. He says companies should not pay ransoms because it only rewards criminal groups. He calls for them to take basic security measures and keep offline backups to avoid becoming victims.
