US equates ransomware attacks with terrorism for investigative purposes
The US Department of Justice will give investigations into ransomware attacks the same level of priority that applies to terrorism cases, Reuters reported, citing a senior official from the department. On Thursday, US prosecutors received an internal notification that information about ransomware attacks was to be passed on to a newly formed working group in Washington.
“A dedicated process is used to ensure that we track all ransomware attacks, regardless of geographic location. That way we can establish connections between the attackers and develop a way to break the entire chain, ”said John Carlin, acting deputy attorney general at the Justice Department.
US equates ransomware attacks with terrorism for investigative purposes
The ransomware came to the attention of the US authorities after the Colonial Pipeline, the country's largest pipeline network, was attacked last month. The hackers paralyzed her systems and demanded a ransom to restore access. Analyst firm Elliptic estimates that the hacker group DarkSide, which claimed responsibility for the attack on the Colonial Pipeline, has received at least $ 90 million in bitcoin in ransom over its history.
The White House administration previously announced the need to find ways to track cryptocurrency transactions to combat illegal activity. US President Joe Biden has already issued an order, they added.
A Reuters source noted that the Justice Department's decision to classify ransomware investigations as a special procedure indicates how serious the problem is in the United States. Practices like this are used for a short list of issues, such as national security affairs.
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