Ransomware operators are scum and should not be trusted, let alone paid.
Not that this isn’t scummy but my understanding is that “ransomware” refers to software that locks a user or organization out of their systems until a fee is paid, generally my encrypting the disk.
This seems like a more traditional “hack” of a system where you get in and download data. Which makes threatening them is traditional blackmail.
I’ll have more respect if it were done by disgruntled employees, but this blackmail is done by a ransomware operator.
Yup. They absolutely shouldn’t pay, for decision theoretic reasons, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be interesting fireworks to watch.