Interesting thought: what if governments hired someone to secretly install ransom-ware software on some computers, demand a payment in Bitcoin, and then very publicly renege on the deals and refuse to decrypt the affected computers?
The CBC would love it and give the story wide exposure. Anything that scares people is food for thought on the CBC on the afternoon drive home.
Here’s the thing: the next time you got a virus like that, you would think, why would I pay? They won’t decrypt my hard drive anyway? Soon all the hackers trying to extort money would go mad: no one pays anymore! We’re ruined!
Or would you pay it anyway, on the remote perceived hope that this one would be the exception? You really, really want those baby pictures back? There are millions of there out there. I’ll set up a website for you where they can be shared.
[whohit]Decrypt Kickers[/whohit]