Pirates of the cyber seas: How ransomware gangs have become security’s biggest threat We’re sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss Normal text size Very large text size Cyber security experts, ex-military officials and some politicians are pushing for ransomware gangs to be treated not as hackers but like “pirates” of the past, in a rethink of how to best counter their growing threat to businesses, industries and society. The shift recognises the way ransomware gangs are used by authoritarian nations to mount sustained attacks on Western businesses and sectors, a new dimension in the ongoing contest between strongmen and democracies.