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A comment on N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack. Parent comment

Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by Wowfunhappy on Monday December 16, 2019 @05:34PM (#21808169)
You're saving lives now but endangering future lives.

If no one paid the ransom, ransomware wouldn't exist. the more people who pay the ransom, the more incentive attackers have to create ransomware.

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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by jonny_eh on Monday December 16, 2019 @06:30PM (#21808702)
> If no one paid the ransom, ransomware wouldn't exist

Even if we made it illegal, it doesn't mean people wouldn't pay them. It would just punish victims further.

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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by ironmagma on Tuesday December 17, 2019 @12:19AM (#21810870)
Put another way, which would you rather do, indirectly kill people or break the law? This is the decision a hospital administrator would be faced with. I suspect that most people would see fit to disobey the law in this situation. It could easily be argued to be a legitimate case of civil disobedience.
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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by wcip on Tuesday December 17, 2019 @05:09AM (#21812211)
I work in this space. Its probably not a matter of kill people, doctors in ER's don't really need a EHR to function and sometimes do without due to technical issues. The issue is that the hospital won't be able to bill without documentation.
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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by dmix on Monday December 16, 2019 @07:13PM (#21809104)
> If no one paid the ransom, ransomware wouldn't exist

I guess you didn't read the second half of my comment where I suggest that will likely be idealistic and unreleastic.

Enough companies will still pay quietly to keep it going. I'd be shocked if they didn't.

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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by Wowfunhappy on Monday December 16, 2019 @09:55PM (#21810083)
If an individual is attacked, sure.

If you're attacking a public institution like a hospital and demanding many thousands of dollars... it's pretty hard to hide a payment like that. So if you outlawed paying such ransoms, those types of ransoms would stop.

Individuals would still be attacked and asked to pay a few hundred dollars, but such instances rarely put lives at stake.

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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by lonelappde on Monday December 16, 2019 @11:19PM (#21810526)
Look at th health insurance industry and tell me a hospital can't sneak out a $50000 payment.

Governor Rick Scott of Florida stole a Billion dollars from Medicaid before he got caught.

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Re:N.J.’S Largest Hospital System Pays Up in Ransomware Attack by jonny_eh on Monday December 16, 2019 @06:30PM (#21808700)
> If no one paid the ransom, ransomware wouldn't exist

Even if we made it illegal, it doesn't mean people wouldn't pay them.

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