The AP Interview: DOJ conducting cyber crackdown скачать в хорошем качестве

The AP Interview: DOJ conducting cyber crackdown

(4 Nov 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4351490 The Justice Department is stepping up actions to combat ransomware and cyber crime through arrests and other actions, its No. 2 official told The Associated Press, as the Biden administration escalates its response to what it regards as an urgent economic and national security threat. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said "in the days and weeks to come, you're going to see more arrests," more seizures of ransom payments to hackers and additional law enforcement operations.   "If you come for us, we're going to come for you," Monaco said in an interview with the AP this week. She declined to offer specifics about who in particular might face prosecution. The actions are intended to build off steps taken in recent months, including the recent extradition to the U.S. of a suspected Russian cyber criminal and the seizure in June of $2.3 million in cryptocurrency paid to hackers. They come as the U.S. continues to endure what Monaco called a "steady drumbeat" of attacks despite President Joe Biden's admonitions last summer to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after a spate of lucrative attacks linked to Russia-based hacking gangs. "We have not seen a material change in the landscape. Only time will tell as to what Russia may do on this front," Monaco said. But she added, "we are not going to stop. We're going to continue to press forward to hold accountable those who seek to go after our industries, hold their data hostage and threaten economic security, national security and personal security." Monaco's position, with oversight of the FBI and other Justice Department components, has made her a key player in U.S. government efforts against ransomware. That fight has defied easy solutions given the sheer volume of high-dollar attacks and the ease with which hackers have penetrated private companies and government agencies alike. How much lasting impact the latest actions will have is also unclear. Though not a new phenomenon, ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock up and encrypt ' data and demand often-exorbitant sums to release it to victims, have exploded in the last year with breaches affecting vital infrastructure and global corporations, such as Colonial Pipeline and JBS, the world's largest meat processor. Inside the Justice Department, officials in April formed a ransomware task force of prosecutors and agents, and they've directed U.S. attorney offices to report ransomware cases to Washington just as they would terrorism attacks. It has also tried prosecutions, extraditing from South Korea last month an accused Russian hacker, Vladimir Dunaev, who prosecutors say participated in a cyber gang whose malicious software "Trickbot" infected millions of computers. "So in the days and the weeks to come, you're going to see more arrests, more seizures and you're going to see more operations like we did last week," Monaco told the AP. The U.S. government has publicly discouraged ransomware payments but Monaco, who during the Obama administration faced criticism from hostage families about the government's response to their plight, says the administration is trying to listen to and work with victimized companies. Officials have shown no interest in prosecuting companies that pay ransom to hackers, though Monaco did announce last month that the department was prepared to sue federal contractors who fail to disclose that they've been hacked or who fail to meet cybersecurity standards. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...