Security News > 2021 > September > Ransomware gang threatens to wipe decryption key if negotiator hired
The Grief ransomware gang is threatening to delete victim's decryption keys if they hire a negotiation firm, making it impossible to recover encrypted files.
Last week, BleepingComputer first reported that the Ragnar Locker ransomware gang threatened to automatically publish a victim's stolen data if they contacted law enforcement or negotiation firms.
Since they made this warning, Ragnar Locker has already claimed to publish a victim's entire stolen data after they hired a ransomware negotiator.
On Monday, the Grief gang took these threats one step further by saying they will delete a victim's decryption key if they hire a ransomware negotiator.
They are saying that if a Grief victim hires a negotiator, the ransomware gang will delete the victim's decryption key, making it impossible to recover files.
The US Treasury later warned that ransomware negotiators may face civil penalties for facilitating ransomware payments to ransomware gangs on the sanction list.