The Biden administration is inspecting cryptocurrency’s function in current hacks which have disrupted necessary U.S. industries together with healthcare, gasoline and meals, exploring new methods to trace victims’ payouts to international ransomware gangs.
White Home officers this week mentioned they’re pushing to higher hint ransomware funds, which hackers demand to unlock firms’ information.
The transfer got here after a cyberattack this weekend triggered meat processor
JBS SA
to pause manufacturing at U.S. and Australian vegetation. That incident adopted final month’s hacks of Colonial Pipeline Co. and Scripps Well being in San Diego, exhibiting how such extortion schemes can snarl the U.S. economy and disrupt daily life.
The White Home didn’t reply to requests for particulars on its method to monitoring the transactions or whether or not extra regulation is within the works.
In a letter to enterprise leaders Wednesday, Deputy Nationwide Safety Adviser
Anne Neuberger
mentioned U.S. officers are working with worldwide companions on constant insurance policies for when to pay ransoms and tips on how to hint them.
