> Because they'll just call 911 and say "I just paid ransom under cover"? Because some whistleblower will leak it (or just some person who is seeking their 15

> Because they'll just call 911 and say "I just paid ransom under cover"? Because some whistleblower will leak it (or just some person who is seeking their 15 minutes of fame). Or because there's a transaction to China by a company which never worked with China. Like if you paid to a security consultant company based in China, and that consultant company was registered a week ago, and the website was down for a week, that is a reason to start investigation. Oh, by the way, a law may mandate disclosure of a ransom request like within three days. So even if the FBI couldn't prove the consultants were fake, the company can be still be fined for not disclosing the request. > STRONG INCENTIVE for them to keep the whole thing a SECRET I suspect companies which pay ransom now don't exactly shout about it on every corner. Only those who refuse to pay do so. > You're shooting your own foot. How it could be worse than it is now?