Ransomware attacks have been increasing steadily for a few years, and operators gain confidence with every new strike. While cyber-experts burn the midnight oil coming up with solutions to thwart this dangerous form of malware, lawmakers in the U.S. state of Maryland are trying a shortcut – they aim to increase prison time for ransomware operators.
Experts have long insisted that caving in to ransomware operators’ demands not only encourages them to strike again, but it also doesn’t ensure you get your data back. Using a security solution to prevent attacks undoubtedly helps, but the best defences against ransomware remain vigilance and offline backups.
Because of the way ransomware works, though, operators often remain at large. That’s why legislators in Maryland have decided to give future cyber-crooks a scare, by increasing slammer time to 10 years for any ransomware attack resulting in losses greater than $1,000.
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