The 2 AM Call: A Ransomware Negotiator's Playbook with Wade Gettle

About this episode

What happens after you discover ransomware? You have to talk to the attackers. And that conversation can make or break your entire response. In this episode, Wade Gettle, a professional ransomware negotiator, pulls back the curtain on the high-stakes world of threat actor negotiations. Wade is the person who gets the call at 2 AM when organizations are facing their worst moment, and he's handled negotiations across every scenario imaginable. You'll learn: • What actually happens in the first 72 hours of a ransomware incident • The psychological tactics threat actors use to manufacture urgency and pressure • Why those 24-hour deadlines aren't real—and how to buy yourself time • How threat actors research your financials, insurance policies, and supply chain before making contact • When data validation saves companies from paying ransoms for data that isn't even theirs • The real cost of ransomware (spoiler: it's 10x the ransom amount) • Why paying doesn't guarantee your data back—or that you won't get hit again • Third-party breaches: the biggest risk vector right now Key takeaway: Ransomware negotiations are psychological warfare disguised as business transactions. The best defe