Our company server was hacked, ransom paid in bitcoin, data never returned. sharing as a warning
Im sharing this to create awareness and hopefully help others avoid the same situation.
Recently, our company’s systems were compromised in a cyber attack. The attackers gained access to critical data and then contacted us demanding payment in Bitcoin in exchange for restoring the data and not misusing it further.
Under pressure and with business continuity at risk, we unfortunately paid the amount they demanded. Despite this, the attackers did not return the data, nor did they provide any valid decryption keys or proof of deletion. Communication stopped shortly after the payment was made.
Key takeaways from our experience:
Paying a ransom does not guarantee data recovery.
These attackers cannot be trusted, even if they promise cooperation.
The financial loss is significant, but the operational and emotional impact is far worse.
Reporting to cyber crime authorities and engaging forensic experts is critical, even if recovery seems unlikely.
We are now working with cyber security professionals, strengthening our systems, and following legal and regulatory procedures. I’m posting this as a warning to other businesses: please invest in security, backups, and incident response plans, and think very carefully before considering ransom payments.
If anyone has guidance on post-incident recovery, legal steps, or handling potential data misuse after such attacks, I would appreciate hearing your insights.
Stay safe.