Over 200 Japanese firms have paid ransomware attackers; 60% fail to recover data

Data from Japanese firms indicates that paying ransom is unlikely to enable full recovery of encrypted data. According to Japan Today, at least 222 Japanese companies have paid ransomware attackers in the past, yet about 60 percent of them still failed to recover their data. Of 1,107 firms that responded to a January survey by the Japan Institute for Promotion of Digital Economy and Community, 507 reported being hit by ransomware attacks, in which hackers block access to data and demand payment to restore it.

Of the companies that paid the attackers, 83 were able to restore their systems and data, while 139 were not; conversely, 141 firms reported being hit by ransomware attacks but restoring their systems and data without paying. Experts say ransoms should not be paid because they fund criminal organisations, and the survey results underscore the reality that paying a ransom does not guarantee data recovery.