Companies that think paying ransomware demands would be a better move than informing regulators of a data breach are playing with fire, according to experts.

Recent reports have indicated a cybercrime group called “Ransomed” is trying to persuade the companies it hacks that paying its cut-price ransom demands quickly—and quietly—outweighs any fine a data protection authority (DPA) might levy for breaching privacy rules such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal...