OK, who's plan B was this then?

[Zigenare]

Do any of these victims run backups?

Of course they do.

The real question is "do they ever test their backups?"

[Paddy]

Do any of these victims run backups?

[GJABS]

And while we at it - cryptotulips enable this criminal activity

It's actually the other way round - this criminal activity enables the cryptotulips, by giving them value (in the same way as taxation gives currencies value).

[AtW]

To be fair it is a useful service for those who refuse to give into blackmail...

And while we at it - cryptotulips enable this criminal activity

[mudskipper]

He's not cracked RSA-1024 encryption, he's a very naughty Belarusian ransomware middleman • The Register

I like his style.

[DaveB]

He's not cracked RSA-1024 encryption, he's a very naughty Belarusian ransomware middleman • The Register

A ransomware decryption service has turned out to be – quelle surprise – a Belarusian middleman who simply pays the ransom and adds his own profit margin to the hapless victim's bill.