[TeMPOraL]

It doesn't ignore any of the things you said. Yes, it's most likely better for you to pay. This kind of selfish thinking is, like many other kind of selfish thinking, what enables this type of crime in the first place.

Sure the criminals will release your files. Just like with regular, "meatspace" ransom, only a stupid criminal would not release hostages after having their demands met. It's in their best interest to do so. But if people by default don't give in to ransom threats, the whole business model becomes unviable for criminals.

So yeah, this advice is kind of like with vaccination and quarantines - it's not just about you. It's about all of us.

[BoorishBears]

I'd say just like in real life, stupid criminals exist. If criminal A says to criminal B "I'll sell you a solution that encrypts their files and I'll host the decryptor for 5$ a month" I can totally see a dumb criminal B being fully willing to rely on the reputation of ransomware as working to not pay that 5$ a month.

To a certain criminal any effort no matter how miniscule at all in actually providing a way to decrypt the files is useless, and I think with the reputation that's spread about ransomware we're at a point where more scammers will start to piggyback on reputation and stop following through

[ThrustVectoring]

It's better for you not to pay, because it means that you're the sort of person who isn't worth trying to extort.