If you pay a hacker’s ransom, chances are that they’ll come back for more

Proofpoint's research reveals that over one-third of companies paying ransomware demands face repeat extortion attempts, fundamentally undermining the negotiation strategy many organizations employ during attacks. Hackers retain stolen data even after payment and employ multi-vector extortion tactics, making ransom payments a high-risk investment that funds criminal operations while providing no guarantee of data deletion or immunity from future attacks. This data validates long-standing government warnings and requires IT leaders to prioritize prevention, detection, and response capabilities over ransom payment strategies.