Category: ransomware

36 Countries and EU Pledge to Disrupt Ransomware Attacks, Crack Down on Criminals

Leaders from nearly 40 countries on Tuesday vowed to work together to track down those responsible for ransomware attacks, prevent ransomware criminals from being granted safe-havens, and implement a series of strong measures to counter such attacks. Government leaders from a total of 36 countries, and the EU, met in Washington on Oct. 31–Nov. 1 for…


White House Invites Dozens of Nations for Ransomware Summit

WASHINGTON—The White House is bringing together three dozen nations, the European Union, and a slew of private-sector companies for a two-day summit starting Monday that looks at how best to combat ransomware attacks. The second International Counter Ransomware Summit will focus on priorities such as ensuring systems are more resilient to better withstand attacks and…


More Red Tape Not the Answer to Optus Data Leak: Business Law Expert

Increasing government bureaucracy is not necessary to mitigate the fallout of the Optus cyberattack, says an Australian business law expert. Australia’s second-largest telecommunication company, on Sept. 22, revealed a user known as “OptusData,” demanded US$1 million for the stolen personal details of 9.8 million Optus customers, including driver’s licence details, passport numbers, home and email addresses,…


CyberHacker Releases 10,000 Optus Customer Details, Demands $1 Million Cyber Ransom

The hacker claiming to be behind the cyber attack against Optus has released 10,000 customer records and threatened to leak more if the Australian telecommunication giant refuses to pay them US$1 million in cryptocurrency.   The user known as “OptusData” has stolen the personal records of 9.8 million Australians including details such as driver licence,…


House Passes Cybersecurity Bill to Protect America’s Energy Sector, Infrastructure From Hackers

The House passed a bill on July 27 that seeks to address the issue of increasing cyber threats to America’s energy infrastructure by providing grants to university students specializing in cybersecurity. H.R. 7569, also called the “Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2022,” was passed with a package of other bills in 336–90 vote. The…


House Passes Cybersecurity Legislation to Protect America’s Energy Sector, Infrastructure From Hackers

The House approved legislation on July 27 that seeks to address the issue of increasing cyber threats to U.S. energy infrastructure by providing grants to university students specializing in cybersecurity. H.R. 7569, also called the “Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2022,” was passed with a package of other measures in a 336–90 vote. The…


Canada Sends Quebec Man to United States to Face Ransomware Charges

A Quebec man has been extradited to the United States to face charges in Florida arising from alleged participation in an elaborate ransomware operation. Following a request from U.S. authorities, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins was arrested in Gatineau, Que., in January of last year. Police executed a search warrant at his home, seizing 719 Bitcoin valued at…


Ransomware Gang Says It Has Hacked 49ers Football Team

RICHMOND, Va.—The San Francisco 49ers have been hit by a ransomware attack, with cyber criminals claiming they stole some of the football team’s financial data. The ransomware gang BlackByte recently posted some of the purportedly stolen team documents on a dark web site in a file marked “2020 Invoices.” The gang did not make any…


AUKUS Partners Call on Organisations to Bolster Cyber Defences Against Ransomware

Australia, U.S., and UK authorities have issued guidelines encouraging individuals and organizations to reinforce their cyber defences against global ransomware threats, cyber criminals-for-hire, and attacks on critical infrastructure. The joint advisory was published on Feb. 9 from the U.S.’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along…


Cyberattacks on the Rise Globally Due to Profitability, Says Cyber Security Expert

There is still no official word on the cause of a major cyberattack on Newfoundland and Labrador’s health-care system, but authorities have been in touch with officials from Ireland, which was hit with a ransomware attack earlier this year. Thomas Keenan, a professor at the University of Calgary who specializes in cyber security and high-tech…