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Ransomware attacks have become one of the biggest threats in cybersecurity today. Cybercriminals have blocked access to a major US oil pipeline, shut down hospitals in Ireland and halted operations in the world's largest meat processing company.

The most pervasive wisdom about preventing damage from ransomware is to backup systems. FujiFilm and Colonial Pipeline in fact, restored from back-ups. So in an era of increased concern about ransomware, is solving the ransomware scourge as simple as investing in some backups?

In the past year, several Illinois organizations have been compromised by ransomware groups, which often demand payment in cryptocurrency under threat of compromising services or leaking sensitive data.

Kurtis Minder, CEO of threat intelligence firm GroupSense, received a lot of press as a top negotiator in ransomware cases. But he’d rather you not hire him or his peers to negotiate. Instead, he says, he’d much rather you stop the ransomware attack before you’d ever need to call him in.

Kurtis Minder speaks to Razia Iqbal of BBC News on what happens when a ransomware attack occurs and if they can be prevented. In his discussion he explains the basic steps he takes when starting a ransomware negotiation and his experiences throughout the process. 

Kurtis Minder told CNN when discussing ransomware negotiation: "Part of this whole process is also about being a counselor and helping them (the victim) remain objective during this unfortunate event." 

Recent ransomware attacks have shown just how vulnerable any business can be to hackers. The growing threat has forced some companies to negotiate with hackers, and has created a whole new business to help corporations navigate the process. Kurtis Minder, a ransomware negotiator and the founder and CEO of GroupSense, joined CBSN to discuss.

Hackers are making millions from ransomware attacks. What can be done to stop them? Ed Butler speaks to professional ransomware negotiator Kurtis Minder, about the increasing professionalisation of the ransomware business. Kimberly Grauer, head of research at Chainalysis explains why following the bitcoin trail may be the best way of bringing ransomware gangs to justice and Vishaal Hariprasad, boss of cyber insurance company Resilience, tells us why the ransomware threat means there needs to be a stepchange in how companies view cyber security.

Ransomware is not just a problem for large enterprises and utility companies, it is impacting thousands of small and medium businesses in all sectors. Kurtis Minder, founder of digital risk protection services company GroupSense, has led the response, mitigation, and negotiations of ransomware incidents world-wide. He will share how these attacks occur, who are the perpetrators, how to minimize the chances of being a victim, and what to do if you are.

The U.S. government says it's taking ransomware attacks as seriously as terrorism after meat plants and a major U.S. pipeline network were temporarily shuttered by hackers. But will that make it any easier to catch the perpetrators? Joe Uchill, a senior reporter with online cybersecurity publication SC Media, brings us the view from Washington. We also speak with Kurtis Minder, founder and CEO of GroupSense, which helps organizations defend against cyber threats; and David Shipley, co-founder and CEO of Fredericton-based cybersecurity startup Beauceron Security.