The U.S. Department of Justice has created a task force to coordinate and track federal cases that involve ransomware, botnets, money laundering, and other computer-related crimes (via Ars Technica).
Cyber Crime Task Force
In the wake of recent attacks against Colonial Pipeline and meat producer JBS, the government wants to make it easier for companies and agencies to work together.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
In May, the Transportation Security Administration released a Security Directive for critical pipeline companies to boost their security practices and report incidents to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The memo released by the Justice Department places ransomware in particular as a priority. The examples of cases mentioned include:
- Ransomware
- Bulletproof hosting services
- Cryptocurrency
- Botnets
- Online money laundering services
- Counter anti-virus services
The memo says attorneys must notify senior Justice Department officials when a ransomware case is opened. President Biden will also raise cybersecurity concerns with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as many of these cyberattacks involve Russian hacking teams.
Discussion