In May 2017, a worm known as WannaCry froze over 200,000 computers across the globe. Victims, including Britain’s National Health System, discovered their data had been irreparably scrambled unless they paid the attackers $300 worth of Bitcoin per computer.
The culprit was later revealed to be Lazarus, a North Korean hacking group best known for its attack on Sony Pictures in 2014. In an ironic twist, Lazarus used a hacking tool first developed by the US National Security Agency which was later stolen by a group with ties to the Russian government and sold on the dark web.
Ransomware attacks are on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic and hospitals are tempting targets — so much so a recent ransomware attack may be to blame for the death of a woman in a German hospital. Many victims pay up because the alternative — fighting back — can be prohibitively expensive. In May 2019, hackers crippled the City of Baltimore, demanding a $76,000 payout. The city fought back, but not before losing nearly $18 million in damages, lost productivity, and recovery costs.
Insurance companies can provide some protection against ransomware, but there’s a catch. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department warned insurance providers that paying ransoms to sanction hacking groups — like Lazarus — might run afoul of federal regulations.
The US has often relied on sanctions to punish malicious actors. Those actors, in turn, often turn to cybercrime to evade sanctions — North Korea being the most obvious offender. That said, some states launder cybercrime through intermediaries. Hackers from the Mabna Institute were recently charged with stealing intellectual property at the behest of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, while Russian intelligence, for its part, is known to rely on cybercriminals to do its dirty work.
Regardless of who’s doing the hacking — better back your data up.
What I’m drinking:
Though I’m normally an IPA drinker (and a New England-style fan at that), I’ll usually pick up a few bottles of Dragon’s Milk from New Holland Brewery at the South Capitol Whole Foods. It’ll definitely hit the spot during long nights playing Star Wars: Squadrons. Cheers!