Data ransoms have existed for a long time before "ransomware" was even really a thing - there's just never been a market for ransoms for the "stolen" data. Once

Data ransoms have existed for a long time before "ransomware" was even really a thing - there's just never been a market for ransoms for the "stolen" data. Once it's out you can't put that genie back in the bottle. The reason ransomware worked was you didn't have to trust the group long-term - just enough to give you a copy of your data back. It's the difference between you making a copy of my car keys and stealing them. Yes, I will pay for "a" key back - I only have to trust you enough to hand it over.