How do ransomware attacks impact trust and the decision to pay the ransom?

This research models the impact of a ransomware attack on the user’s trust, which in turn has an effect on their decision to pay the ransom or follow the guidance from the relevant institutions. The model shows that the effectiveness of the attack, the trust in the competence of the attacker and ransomware demands that are reasonable and easy to fulfill, positively influence the intention to pay the ransom. The initial institutional response, institutional trust and institutional solution influence the intention to follow the institutional guidance.

Link to full paper (you need an AIS membership):
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2018/Security/Presentations/31/


Reference:
Zarifis A. & Cheng X. (2018). The Impact of Extended Global Ransomware Attacks on Trust: How the Attacker's Competence and Institutional Trust Influence the Decision to Pay, Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), pp.2-11. Available from: https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2018/Security/Presentations/31/