9. Maze Actors Will Release Victim Data If The Ransom Isn’t Paid
The main goal of Maze ransomware is to encrypt all files it can in an infected system and then demand a ransom to recover the files, according to a March 2020 McAfee Labs report. However, the most important characteristic of Maze is that the ransomware authors threaten to release the victim’s information on the internet if they do not pay, McAfee Labs stated.
The threat has not been an idle one as the files of several companies have been released on the internet. The Maze ransomware is hard programmed with some tricks to prevent reversing of it and to make static analysis more difficult, according to McAfee Labs.
The creators of Sodinokibi, Nemty, and BitPyLock ransomwares have followed Maze’s example, stating that they too will publish data stolen from victims if they don’t pay a ransom. Companies are more apt to pay a ransom if it costs less than the fines, data breach notification costs, loss of trade and business secrets, tarnishing of brand image, and potential lawsuits associated with disclosing personal data, according to BleepingComputer.
