Attackers will vow to publicly release the stolen data, try to delete any backups and even deploy DDoS attacks to convince victims to give in to the ransom demands, says Sophos.

A new report from security firm Sophos look at 10 ways attackers pressure organizations to pay the demanded ransom.

To further pressure an organization, attackers will contact senior executives and other employees to warn them that their own personal data will be leaked if the ransom isn’t paid.

The attackers then used those compromised accounts to contact the IT, legal, and security teams to warn of more attacks if the ransom wasn’t paid.

Several ransomware gangs have turned to DDoS attacks to try to convince stubborn victims to pay the ransom.

Set up a training program for your employees to help them recognize the kind of emails that attackers use and the demands they might make as part of a ransomware attack.