DOJ To Give Ransomware Attacks Terror-Level Priority

Reuters reports:

The U.S. 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 cyber criminals, a senior department official told Reuters.

Internal guidance sent on Thursday to U.S. 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.

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

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EXCLUSIVE-U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says https://t.co/t7yPF67ZsB pic.twitter.com/fHziI60riA

— Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) June 3, 2021

Hackers extorted millions from Colonial Pipeline, and now they’ve struck the meatpacking giant JBS. There’s one clear way to prevent future attacks, @SilvermanJacob writes. https://t.co/ei0JHWX4qv

— The New Republic (@newrepublic) June 2, 2021