Quick Take

• You are gambling when you pay attackers for decryption keys — they don’t always work, and they don’t always come.
• Attackers are not motivated to provide customer service. What motivation do they have once they’ve got your dollars?
• You can restore ransomware-infected systems better than by caving in to cyber extortion.
• At PJ Networks, we ransomware-proof our clients with airtight backup strategies and zero-trust safeguards — because it’s better not to pay bad actors.

What Are Ransomware Decryption Keys?

Ransomware is nasty. It burrows its way in, encrypts your data, and then asks for a ransom in return for a so-called decryption key. In theory, that key should allow you to reverse the damage. Except—it’s not that simple.

You see, ransomware is based on asymmetric encryption, which means that two different things become an encryption key and a decryption key. In return, the attackers keep that second key hostage. You pay, they (may or may not) give you the key, and your files (if you’re lucky) get restored.

But — and this is a big but — you have zero guarantee that the key’s going to work at all. Why? Because ransomware gangs are not operating a well-tuned IT help desk. They’re criminals.

Why Attackers Might Not Give Them

I’ve been contending with security nightmares since the Slammer worm rampaged through networks in the early 2000s, and one thing has remained constant — attackers don’t give a damn about being trusted.

And even if they do provide a key once you pay, here’s why you can’t count on it:

• Keys Can Be Broken: Some groups don’t even test out the stuff their encryption works with, so their own decryption keys don’t even work. Cybercriminals are not software QA testers.
• They Might Vanish: Ransomware operators are often caught — or just run off with the money. The guy who was filing your data last week? This is your information the last week? They might be gone today.
• It Can Take Forever: Some victims say they have been waiting weeks for keys that never arrive. In the meantime, they’re losing money from inactivity.
• Double (or Triple) Extortion: Even if they do send an operational key, they may already have your data. You might even face a second ransom just to keep it from becoming public.

And here’s something most people don’t think about: Decryption keys don’t always cleanly restore your files. Corrupted data, indexes lost, even half-recovered databases are quite common. So even if you give them money and get a key, you could still lose vital data for your business. Want to rethink trusting criminals as a good recovery plan?

Methods for Recovering Alternative Data

Here’s how savvy businesses stay ahead of ransomware without spending a penny on the attackers.

1. Immutable Backups (Best Option)

• Anyone who breaches your system can’t modify immutable backups.
• Kept offline or in write-protected cloud data centers they enable restoration without touching ransomware demands.
• My company, PJ Networks, helps businesses establish these systems — because hoping for luck is not a strategy.

2. Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)

• The plan here is to block ransomware before it even happens.
• EDR solutions monitor for malicious activity and pursue threats before encryption occurs.
• But be wary of anything advertised as “AI-powered” — buzzwords don’t prevent ransomware.

3. Segment & Limit Network Access

• In case ransomware does get in, network segmentation can prevent it from spreading like wildfire.
• Zero-trust architectures limit what software and users have access to, which minimizes risk.
• Companies that treat this seriously (like the three banks my squad just worked with) take way less damage in a real-life breach.

4. Decryptors Specific to Ransomware

• Some ransomware encryption can be tackled by legitimate decryptors, but this is not always guaranteed.
• However, preventive tactics and proactive responses remain your best bet.

Ransomware Breach Response at PJ Networks

Let me take a step back. I have been at this since 1993 running PSTN multiplexers to put voice and data down the same pipe. At that time, network downtime very often just caused inconvenience. Now? It can destroy a business.

At PJ Networks, we’ve seen companies go to their knees under a ransomware attack. We’ve also assisted them in recovering—all without handing over a cent to attackers with purposefully designed backup operations. Here’s how we do it:

• Regular, immutable backups that ransomware cannot encrypt.
• Network segmentation so that malware isn’t able to propagate from an initial breach.
• Proactive threat hunting—we don’t wait until we are attacked; we actively seek trouble before it becomes a problem.
• Ransomware response exercises, so our clients know exactly what to do before the attack actually takes place.

And when a business reaches out to us because they’re compromised? First, we isolate the damage. Next, we restore from backups, investigate the breach, and lock down the vulnerabilities that allowed the ransomware to enter and run.

No payouts. Trust zero in the criminal “tech support.” Just professional bounce-back that makes business even better.

Conclusion

Ransomware is a business killer, but paying for a decryption key is a sucker’s bet. It is unpredictable, unreliable and, in many cases, just plain ineffective.

Here’s the actual playbook for living through a ransomware attack:

• Stop it—use strict security policies, real-time detection, and zero trust.
• Be ready for it — with ransomware-proof backups that lock attackers out of the equation.
• Rebuild for free—via restoration of saved data and organized response plans.

Decryption keys might work. However, real backup strategies always succeed.

Contact PJ Networks if you’re ready to make your business cyber extortion resistant. Because once ransomware takes your data hostage, your options — and your time — are short. And honestly? You do not want to make that call after you have lost everything.