Space assets could be held ransom. Will we have any choice but to pay?

Ransomware exploits value. Attackers put victims against a decision to pay for the hope of the return of their system or lose it. For victims, it is hard to justify not paying even though it sets a harmful precedent. At heart, this is an economics question that cyber professionals find it difficult to answer on Earth. In space, the steep initial investments, slow times to market and operational costs of satellites and in-orbit infrastructure make the payment of a future ransomware attack against a satellite nearly assured.