ransomware

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joe Blount says that paying a multi-million dollar ransom to get a large portion of the East Coast's fuel supply back online was "the right decision to make for the country."

National

The Colonial Pipeline CEO Explains The Decision To Pay Hackers A $4.4 Million Ransom

7:13am June 04, 2021

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Colonial Pipeline CEO Joe Blount on the ransomware attack on the pipeline's network and the decision to pay the hackers the $4.4 million ransom.

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A gas pump is marked "out of service" as cars line up May 11 at a Circle K in Charlotte, N.C., following a ransomware attack that shut down Colonial Pipeline.

National

Pipeline Companies Will Have To Report Cyberattacks To The Government

4:04pm May 26, 2021

by Avie Schneider

Pipeline and other key infrastructure companies aren't currently required to report ransomware attacks, so "we don't really understand how bad the problem is," says a former cybersecurity official.

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A fuel tank is seen at Colonial Pipeline's Linden Junction tank farm in Woodbridge, N.J., on May 10.

National

How To Stop Ransomware Attacks? 1 Proposal Would Prohibit Victims From Paying Up

3:56pm May 13, 2021

by Jason Breslow

The attack on Colonial Pipeline has focused new attention on a potentially radical proposal to stem the growing threat posed by ransomware: making it illegal for victims to pay their attackers.

Washington, D.C., Police Chief Robert Contee addresses reporters in January. The police department has acknowledged that its computer network has been breached by attackers seeking a ransom. Such attacks against local governments, hospitals and corporatio

National

In The Ransomware Battle, Cybercriminals Have The Upper Hand

12:23pm April 29, 2021

by Greg Myre

Hackers say they've seized computer records from the Washington, D.C., police and are demanding ransom. As ransomware groups keep getting more sophisticated, law enforcement is struggling to keep up.

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U.S. federal agencies sent an alert Wednesday night that there is "credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat" to hospitals and healthcare providers.

U.S. Hospitals Targeted In Rising Wave Of Ransomware Attacks, Federal Agencies Say

11:13am October 29, 2020

An alert warns hospitals and health care providers that there is "credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat."

Ashley Merson and her brother Kevin sit on the porch of the house Ashley is trying to buy in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore. A ransomware attack on the city's digital services has delayed the home purchase.

National

Ransomware Cyberattacks Knock Baltimore's City Services Offline

7:42am May 21, 2019

by Emily Sullivan

Baltimore is just the latest municipality hit with a ransomware attack. Residents can't use the city servers they need to purchase homes, pay online bills or email city workers.

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The two men face federal charges of infecting Atlanta's computers with their SamSam ransomware. The suspects have previously been charged in a similar scheme in New Jersey.

National

Georgia Charges Iranians In Ransomware Attack On Atlanta

9:15pm December 05, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

U.S. Attorney Byung Pak says Faramarz Savandi and Mohammed Mansouri were behind the cyber extortion scheme that crippled many of the city's computer systems in March, causing millions in damages.

Ransomware attacks against cities, schools and hospitals have been on the rise, officials say.

National

As Atlanta Seeks To Restore Services, Ransomware Attacks Are On The Rise

1:53pm March 30, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

The FBI says the practice of locking computer systems in exchange for money has become increasingly common, and that cities, schools and hospitals are especially vulnerable to hackers.

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As of Monday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had said the city hadn't decided whether it will pay the cyberattackers.

Time Is Running Out For Atlanta In Ransomware Attack

6:55pm March 28, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

The deadline to pay off the hackers who have crippled many of the city's online services is fast approaching. It's uncertain whether the city will pay to save its data; it may even be too late.

News

North Carolina County's Ransomware Recovery Will Take Days

1:11pm December 07, 2017

by Associated Press and Jonathan Drew

A North Carolina county was working Thursday on the lengthy process of fixing its computer systems after refusing to pay off a hacker who used ransomware to freeze dozens of local government server