"Almost Half of People Think Cyberattackers Shouldn't Be Prosecuted -- Provided They Hand Back Some of Their Proceeds"
New research from the cybersecurity company Naoris Protocol reveals that 48 percent of respondents believe cybercriminals who infiltrate computer networks with malicious intent should be paid a portion of the funds they steal and should not be prosecuted if they return the majority of what they stole. A survey of more than 500 cybersecurity and web professionals revealed that only 38 percent were opposed to not prosecuting malicious hackers, while 13 percent were unsure. Not prosecuting may be acceptable if the hackers return 100 percent of whatever was stolen and provide information to enable a security fix. According to Naoris Protocol, there is a major movement supporting the role of legitimate and ethical hackers operating within bounty guidelines' parameters. Numerous organizations now see bounties as an essential component of their cybersecurity spending budgets. For example, the market for bug bounties was valued at $223 million in 2020, and according to research firm ATR, it is predicted to grow by 54 percent annually, reaching $5.5 billion by 2027. In some situations, hackers have been offered large bounty payments and employment contracts in exchange for disclosing how they breached a system or network and returning the stolen assets. This article continues to discuss insights from Naoris Protocol's research regarding how black hat hackers should be handled.