JAKARTA - Three prominent ransomware gangs have recently begun to explicitly warn their victims that they will immediately publish their files if they contact the government.
However, the White House also encourages all ransomware victims in the United States to notify the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, as they can help mitigate the problem, as well as better track hackers.
But all options to pay or notify federal authorities are up to the victim. The move follows statements from President Joe Biden, who has vowed to crack down on criminal hackers trying to extort Americans, and the ransomware gang, which have proven resilient to efforts to stop them.
The US Treasury also warned victims of ransomware attacks paying hackers could violate US sanctions. All victims should notify the department before paying the hacker. To ensure they are not criminally violating US sanctions in doing so.
Ransomware victims are often confused about whether to pay their attackers, most of whom threaten to make their files inaccessible and will release them publicly if they are not paid.
All major ransomware gangs demand payment in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which rely on online exchanges to convert digital money into cash. The US Treasury also announced that it has sanctioned a cryptocurrency exchange, Czech Republic-based Suex, for allegedly helping at least eight ransomware gangs launder their extorted money.
Michael Phillips, co-chair of the Ransomware Task Force, a cybersecurity industry partnership to combat ransomware, says disrupting the way ransomware hackers take money is critical to slowing them down.
“Following money is an age-old tactic for law enforcement, and it makes a lot of sense for cryptocurrencies,” Phillips said. He continued, the hackers' latest warning to victims not to tell the US government was a sign of weakness.
"It reeks of desperation. I think they know they are behind, that they are under increasing pressure, and they understand there are tools in place against them," he added, as quoted by NBC News, Wednesday, September 22.
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