Security News > 2020 > January > ‘Maze’ ransomware threatens data exposure unless $6m ransom paid
That ransomware attackers can steal as well as encrypt data isn't a new phenomenon but the possibility that sensitive data might be revealed to the world is potentially more damaging than any short-term disruption caused by the malware.
To understand this defiance, consider other recent Maze incidents in which the Maze gang released samples of the stolen data to media, and set up a special website to publish it.
Southwire would have known this was likely to happen because the attackers reportedly name-checked that they'd released the data from another victim as part of their ransom pitch.
The FBI advises not to pay Maze's ransoms because doing so would not guarantee the recovery of data, nor the destruction of stolen data.
Data exposure driven by ransomware could be the next big wave.