To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: The statistics maintained by the FBI indicate that between 2018 and 2019 there has been a 37% increase in reported ransomware attacks. In light of the fact that these are the reported cases, it is likely that this increase has been higher. Most recently, high profile businesses such as the Colonial Pipeline have been become the target of these attacks. Many businesses have taken the position that paying the ransom as a matter of business practice is less expensive than potentially losing data, decreased productivity and potential harm to their reputation. This analysis, however, overlooks several important factors.