As Ransomware Criminals Get More Ruthless, Experts Call for Multi-Pronged Response
Political hand-wringing in Washington over Russia’s hacking of federal agencies and interference in U.S. politics has mostly overshadowed a worsening digital scourge with a far broader wallop: crippling and dispiriting extortionary ransomware attacks by cybercriminal mafias that mostly operate in foreign safe havens out of the reach of Western law enforcement.
Stricken in the United States alone last year were more than 100 federal, state and municipal agencies, upwards of 500 health care centers, 1,680 educational institutions and untold thousands of businesses, according to the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Dollar losses are in the tens of billions. Accurate numbers are elusive. Many victims shun reporting, fearing the reputational blight.
Washington Metropolitan Police Department chief Robert Contee speaks during a news conference in Washington. Ransomware gangsters have become more brazen and cocky as they put more and more lives and livelihoods at risk. This week, one syndicate threatened to make available to local criminal gangs data they say they stole from the Washington, D.C., metro police on informants. AP
BOSTON: Political hand-wringing in Washington over Russia’s hacking of federal agencies and interference in US politics has mostly overshadowed a worsening digital scourge with a far broader wallop: crippling and dispiriting extortionary ransomware attacks by cybercriminal mafias that mostly operate in foreign safe havens out of the reach of Western law enforcement.
Ransomware Task Force aims to disrupt ransomware payments globally
Events
About
If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.
If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.
The new coalition aims for a unified, comprehensive, public-private campaign against ransomware groups
Ransomware Task Force aims disrupt ransomware payments globally
The Ransomware Task Force, an alliance of some of the world s top tech firm and government agencies, has released a new framework that aims to disrupt ransomware groups by going after their financial operations and limiting their ability to get paid.
No Ransomware Silver Bullet, Crooks Out of Reach By Frank Bajak | April 30, 2021
BOSTON (AP) Political hand-wringing in Washington over Russia’s hacking of federal agencies and interference in U.S. politics has mostly overshadowed a worsening digital scourge with a far broader wallop: crippling and dispiriting ransomware attacks by cybercriminal mafias that mostly operate in foreign safe havens out of the reach of Western law enforcement.
Stricken in the United States alone last year were more than 100 federal, state and municipal agencies, upwards of 500 health care centers, 1,680 educational institutions and untold thousands of businesses, according to the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Dollar losses are in the tens of billions. Accurate numbers are elusive. Many victims shun reporting, fearing the reputational blight.
By
Brad D. Williams on April 29, 2021 at 4:50 PM
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
WASHINGTON: Ransomware attacks are an “urgent” and “dramatically increasing” national security issue that requires a “whole-of-government” approach, to include robust international cooperation.
“One thing is clear: Ransomware is a national security threat,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said today in prepared remarks. He pledged that his department will implement many of the recommendations contained in a major report released today.
“Ransomware has risen to be a national security threat,” Philip Reiner, CEO of the Institute for Security and Technology, said today during a virtual event. IST spearheaded and coordinated the Ransomware Task Force (RTF) and its report, Combating Ransomware: A Comprehensive Framework for Action. It includes the work of people from 60 organizations across the public and private sectors and took four months to produce. Reiner po