Tech

Ransomware will now get priority treatment at the Justice Department

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) The Justice Department has created a task force to centrally track and coordinate all federal cases involving ransomware or related types of cybercrime, such as botnets, money laundering, and bulletproof hosting. “To ensure we can make necessary connections across national and global cases and investigations … we must enhance and centralize […]

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Attack on meat supplier came from REvil, ransomware’s most cut-throat gang

Enlarge / Ransomware (credit: Getty Images) The cyberattack that halted some operations at the world’s biggest meat processor this week was the work of REvil, a ransomware franchise that’s known for its ever-escalating series of cut-throat tactics designed to extort the highest price. The FBI made the attribution on Wednesday, a day after word emerged […]

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Shortages loom as ransomware hamstrings the world’s biggest meat producer

Enlarge (credit: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images) A ransomware attack has struck the world’s biggest meat producer, causing it to halt some operations in the US, Canada, and Australia while threatening shortages throughout the world, including up to a fifth of the American supply. Brazil-based JBS SA said on Monday that it was the target […]

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DarkSide ransomware makers accused of skipping town without paying affiliates

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) A crime forum is holding a quasi-judicial proceeding against the makers of DarkSide, the ransomware that shut down Colonial Pipeline two weeks ago, to hear claims from former affiliates who say the makers skipped town without paying. Or, at least that’s what members of crime forum XSS.is want us all to […]

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Colonial Pipeline paid a $5 million ransom—and kept a vicious cycle turning

Enlarge (credit: Sean Rayford | Getty Images) Nearly a week after a ransomware attack led Colonial Pipeline to halt fuel distribution on the East Coast, reports emerged on Friday that the company paid a 75 bitcoin ransom—worth as much as $5 million, depending on the time of payment—in an attempt to restore service more quickly. […]

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Pipeline attacker Darkside suddenly goes dark—here’s what we know

Enlarge Darkside—the ransomware group that disrupted gasoline distribution across a wide swath of the US this week—has gone dark, leaving it unclear if the group is ceasing, suspending, or altering its operations or is simply orchestrating an exit scam. On Thursday, all eight of the dark web sites Darkside used to communicate with the public […]

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Ireland’s healthcare system taken down after ransomware attack

Enlarge / St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. (credit: Bloomberg | Getty Images) Ireland has shut down most of the major IT systems running its national healthcare service, leaving doctors unable to access patient records and people unsure of whether they should show up for appointments, following a “very sophisticated” ransomware attack. Paul Reid, […]

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Colonial Pipeline resumes operations after ransomware prompted closure

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Colonial Pipeline said it restarted operations on Wednesday afternoon after a five-day outage brought on by a ransomware attack caused gasoline shortages and panic buying in East Coast states. “Following this restart, it will take several days for the product delivery supply chain to return to normal,” the operator of the […]

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Ransomware crooks post cops’ psych evaluations after talks with DC police stall

Enlarge (credit: carlballou / Getty Images) A ransomware gang that hacked the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in April posted personnel records on Tuesday that revealed highly sensitive details for almost two dozen officers, including the results of psychological assessments and polygraph tests; driver’s license images; fingerprints; social security numbers; dates of birth; […]

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Major ransomware attack cripples gas pipeline on US East Coast

Enlarge / Problems with Colonial Pipeline’s distribution system tend to lead to gasoline runs and price increases across the US Southeast and Eastern seaboard. In this September 2016 photo, a man prepared to refuel his vehicle after a Colonial leak in Alabama. (credit: Luke Sharrett via Getty Images) On Friday, Colonial Pipeline took many of […]