Ransomware negotiation is a dark but widely acknowledged reality in the cybersecurity industry — one that many argue is a necessary practice, even if it largely occurs out of sight. Brokering payments and terms with cybercriminals who hold organizations’ data and operations hostage places security professionals in a fraught position that requires them to balance a responsibility to meet their clients’ needs without fueling the spread of financially-motivated crime. The pitfalls of ransomware