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> This is a business that actually provides better support than a regular business. The thing I find fascinating from a sociology perspective about ransomware
by munificent 6y ago
> This is a business that actually provides better support than a regular business.
The thing I find fascinating from a sociology perspective about ransomware is that they have to. To be a successful ransomware company, you have to simultaneously be:
1. Completely immoral enough to attack companies, hold their data ransom and potentially put them out of business and reveal the private details of thousands of people.
2. Create enough trust in the company you attacked that they believe you will give the data back once you pay them.
It is crazy that they are psychologically savvy enough to simultaneously attain those directly conflicting goals.
- dv_dt 6y agoThere are many businesses operating in on the legal side of things which I find immoral, but would trust to act consistently in certain ways…
- cmeacham98 6y agoI don't think these goals are very conflicting. It's not hard to imagine a criminal unwilling to lie and/or break their promise, as a matter of fact it is a common trope in works of fiction (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IGaveMyWord https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IGaveMyWord).
- larksimian 6y agoIn a cynical telling this is how you start a government or any organization with a monopoly on violence, ala mafia. First you make it clear that you can cause damage, then you make it clear that tax payers are safe. The next step for ransomware companies is to offer cyber security services, whether you want them or not. We've hacked you. We fixed your crappy unpatched software, if you try to remove us you lose all your data, so now we're your cyber security partners.
- ChainOfFools 6y agoor any self-identified 'disruptive' business model really. step 1: "join my disruptor gang and we'll protect your lifestyle/income/status in exchange for tribute, or at least not becoming a disruptee yourself." step 2: end up eventually recapitulating the exact same system you disrupted, but now you get all the spoils of the incumbent power