Not anymore, anyway…

Oh, I completely agree. I was just stating how it is here in case that’s not the same in other countries.

I have the factory fog lamps (they’re pretty low) on whenever the low beams are on. I have abysmal night vision and live in a rural area.

Nope; factory-installed fog lights turn off with activation of the high beams in the US. Note that we can buy self-installed aftermarket fog lights and drill holes into the dash for the switch, but even then (in the jurisdictions I’ve lived in) you were supposed to turn them off when using high beams. But nobody does.

Old-ass kidney stone

Make note of the ones that are smiling.

“over 100 people usually run for every position”

Are you out your mind‽‽‽

Around here, and in a LOT of places, there isn’t even a challenger on the ballot!

That is hilariously, maddenly accurate. You win the day!

Doublethink in the purest form

Their budget, like the military, won’t get frozen IIRC. Something about being in the Defense Authorization Act I think.

Since due process is off the table, we’ve determined (without a trial) that you’re not a citizen, and you’re being deported to a country you’ve never been to, where they will imprison you at our request, and they don’t speak any language you do.

Why? Because we’re ICE. Fuck you.

All good… I mistook the attribution of intent.

But they’ll just slow drip the release anyway, going back for more and more ransom if they do pay.

I guess my thing is (not knowing the company from Adam) I’d assume they’d rather not have the kid’s info released rather than simply not caring about it. Being hacked doesn’t necessarily mean they’re careless - I think that is what I was trying to convey.

I’m almost solely responsible for cyber security at my job. I do my best, make the case for better protections, and secure things as best I can. If we got ransomwared, I’d be tempted to blow my head off. I have to get it right every single time. They have to get right or lucky just once.

My understanding of your first sentence in the first comment was that you were saying that the hackers were trying to ‘intimidate the group (the company) into protecting the privacy of the children’.

That is what I based my response on. If I misunderstand, I apologize. (also, I didn’t down vote you, for what it’s worth, I appreciate the sincerity).

Please don’t try to whitewash these criminals as heroes in this story. They know their target, chose it deliberately and chose to release sensitive information about the victims of their own accord for their own gain.

Doing cybersecurity 100% right 100% of the time is damn hard work. Anyone that says ‘lol their security sucked, they deserved it’ has no idea how much work it takes to keep not only a complex system free from compromise, but also keep the users from shooting themselves in the face and taking the network down with them.