RANSOMWARE HACKERS GET U.S. PRIORITY AS TERRORISTS

The US Department of Justice is elevating investigations of ransomware attacks to a similar priority as terrorism in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline hack and mounting damage caused by cybercriminals, a senior department official told Christopher Bing of Reuters.

Internal guidance sent on Thursday to US attorney’s offices across the country said information about ransomware investigations in the field should be centrally coordinated with a recently created task force in Washington.

“It’s a specialized process to ensure we track all ransomware cases regardless of where it may be referred in this country, so you can make the connections between actors and work your way up to disrupt the whole chain,” said John Carlin, the principal associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department.

Last month, a cybercriminal group that the US authorities said operates from Russia, penetrated the pipeline operator on the US East Coast, locking its systems and demanding a ransom.

The hack caused a shutdown lasting several days, led to a spike in gas prices, panic buying, and localized fuel shortages in the southeast. Colonial Pipeline decided to pay the hackers who invaded their systems nearly $5 million to regain access, the company said.

The DOJ guidance specifically refers to Colonial as an example of the “growing threat that ransomware and digital extortion pose to the nation.”

It added: “To ensure we can make necessary connections across national and global cases and investigations, and to allow us to develop a comprehensive picture of the national and economic security threats we face, we must enhance and centralize our internal tracking.”

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