I really hope this is not the case. Paying randsome is unethical, in some cases it’s also illegal. At best you’re funding a criminal organisation, at worst you’

I really hope this is not the case. Paying randsome is unethical, in some cases it’s also illegal. At best you’re funding a criminal organisation, at worst you’re in collaboration with a criminal organisation. In the case of digital files there is absolutely no guarantee that they delete the file, it’s like paying someone to go back in time. The act has been done, the data is stolen, your negligence and wrongdoing is in the past and the only ethical option is to not fund the bad actors who are actually primarily responsible.