Concerns Over Government’s Proposed Ban on Ransomware Payments

Partner Julian Hayes is quoted extensively in Law360, discussing the government’s proposed ban on ransomware payments and outlining his concerns.

The Home Office has suggested a ban on public entities sending money as ransom for cyberattacks, in an attempt to undermine the ransomware industry.

Julian warns that the plan, while well-intentioned, may be naive and ultimately ineffective. He argues that even if the ban reduces attacks on public institutions, it will likely divert cybercriminals toward more vulnerable private-sector targets. 

“Such sophisticated threat actors are highly unlikely to surrender without a struggle. Far from being deterred, such groups are more likely to fight tenaciously to protect their lucrative business models, with ‘big game’ ransomware groups intentionally targeting the UK essential services on which we all rely, both to break the government’s will and serve as a warning to like-minded countries not to follow suit,” cautions Julian.

There is a broader concern that the proposals oversimplify a complex problem. Julian believes that without understanding attackers’ motivations and adapting policy accordingly, the UK risks escalating the threat rather than containing it.

This article was first written for and published by Law360 on 22 May 2025. To read the full article, please click here (subscription required).