Introduction
While sitting in the cafeteria in the morning, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper, I came across an article about ransomware attacks.
"Even Asahi and Askul have been hit by ransomware? I can't believe the losses are piling up just from having their systems shut down..." I thought, and decided to ask an expert.
I was told, "Actually, you could lose money just by making a mistake in how you negotiate with attackers."
In this article,Cybersecurity expertFrom practical know-how, to prevent the spread of damageThree perspectivesLet's take a look at it.
I'm sure many of you are particularly interested in whether or not you should negotiate, and how to respond (negotiate) to those decisions.
background
Ransomware is an attack that threatens to demand a ransom after encrypting or stealing data. In recent years..."Double blackmail"The number of such incidents is increasing—not only is data recovery a concern, but there is also the added risk of exposing "information that you would be embarrassed to have made public."
Looking at the cases of Asahi Group and Kudwango that occurred in 2025,
- You will be asked to make a decision within 24 hours.
– Personal information leak and production stoppage occurred simultaneously.
This has resulted in serious damage.
Main theme/Conclusion
"Negotiation is essential, but don't do it yourselves."—This isRansomware protectionThis is a core message from an expert.
Why? Let's break it down into 3 key points.
1. Attackers have business acumen.
Because the logic is that "breaking a promise will increase the number of victims next time,"The Textile Group has a high contract fulfillment rate.This is a trend (however, expert knowledge is required to make a credit judgment).
2. Buying time is key to recovery.
By saying something like, "I'll reply in 5 hours," you give the technical team time to consider it. Rather than a simple "pay/don't pay" decision,Prioritizing situation analysis is possible.。
3. Character creation unique to professional negotiators“
There's a technique to avoid emotional conflict by using excuses like "I need board approval" or "I have to pick up my child"—this isA weapon to reject pointless demandsIt will become.
What are your thoughts on this from a work perspective?
– Just as you would "call a firefighter" in the event of a fire, there is an option to leave it to the professionals.
- A misjudgment on the company's part carries the risk of causing double damage (e.g., hastily making a payment → later the requested amount is doubled).
Note: The negotiation process itselfDark web chat toolsBecause it is carried out in a technical setting, it is difficult for anyone other than engineers to handle—it is truly an area that should be left to specialists.
Summary
After listening carefully to the experts' explanations, I realized that dealing with ransomware attacks is incredibly difficult without "negotiation professionals."
What's important isn't excessive pride in trying to solve everything ourselves, but rather the simple decision to "leave specialized areas to experts"—I believe that such a basic judgment is the first step in protecting the company.
Recognize the risks that may occur around you, and how to deal with them.expertI think you've come to understand that relying on this for hedging is the most efficient solution.
