However, if that is the only way a ransomware criminal will accept payment, the authors said the card or account should be frozen or closed immediately thereafter, the report said.
Bitcoin is the best way to pay a ransom, Scott said, adding that the easiest way to buy bitcoins is to google “bitcoin brokers.”
For businesses, ransomware is a more serious threat than a data breach because a business can easily continue operations after a breach.
“The same cannot be said for an active ransomware attack. Business operations grind to a halt until the system is restored or replaced,” the report said.
Another danger of ransomware, the report claimed, is law enforcement agencies have neither the time nor the resources to track down the culprits.
“More crooks are entering ransomware because the attacks are under-combated and highly profitable,” the authors said.
The average amount ransomware thieves took from their victims last year was $300. The amount may seem small, but with the tens of millions of personal computers in use, the opportunity for making money through this form of thievery is large, the report said.
Smartphones aren’t popular targets for ransomware attackers because they are so inexpensive to replace and so little sensitive data is stored on them that consumers often would rather buy a new one than pay ransom.