> let them destroy their reputation and be their own undoing
My only concern is that their "reputation" is one perceived inside our sweet tech bubble. Basically, people like my parents and cousins from rural [Insert Southern State Here] have no idea what ransomware is. I reckon that the average computer-user doesn't either and may not know what to make of the results from a Google search on the subject.
That being said, in crisis mode, it's likely victims would go on to pay for their files to be decrypted depending on whether or not they can afford to do so. To me, this is similar to a government saying "we don't negotiate with terrorists". That's all well and good if you're the government and have tactical teams trained to carry out extractions if you're the one kidnapped. However, the family of your average citizen, like your average computer-user, may be more than willing to negotiate with said terrorists if it means ensuring their loved ones (or files) are returned unharmed. IMHO.
