Security News > 2020 > January > Maryland: Make malware possession a crime! Yes, yes, researchers get a free pass
A US state that was struck by a ransomware attack last year is now proposing a local law that would ban possession of malicious software.
Local news website the Baltimore Fishbowl reported that Maryland's Senate heard arguments on Senate Bill SB0030, a proposition that would "Label the possession and intent to use ransomware in a malicious manner as a misdemeanor" punishable with up to 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
He said: "First, I doubt that too many people in Maryland actually possess ransomware. Second, making something illegal doesn't help unless you can catch and prosecute those who break the law."
The attackers, part of the Maze ransomware gang, responded by simply mirroring their site in China, publishing what they said was 10 per cent of the stolen data and threatening to keep publishing it in 10 per cent packets unless the company paid up, as BleepingComputer reported.
Legal remedies for ransomware only work if you know who your attacker is and what jurisdiction they're in.