Bitcoin ledger as a secret weapon in war against ransomware
Ransomware, malicious software that encrypts computers and keeps them locked until a ransom is paid, is the worlds fastest-growing cyber threat, according to Coinfirm. Recent attacks on critical national infrastructure, like the Colonial Pipeline incursion that crippled oil and gas deliveries for a week along the U.S. East Coast, have set off alarms. Ransom payments are almost always made in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.But while many were shaken by Mays Colonial Pipeline attack the Biden administration issued new pipeline regulations in its aftermath relatively few are aware of that....
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The U.S. Secret Service says the immutable and transparent aspect of the blockchain ledger allows the agency to track transactions made by criminals easier than cash in some cases. A top official from the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) says the agency can track the flow of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in a similar manner to email addresses, and it has seized more than $102 million in crypto across 254 cases since 2015.USSS assistant director of investigations David Smith told CNBC that the transparent and immutable aspect of blockchain ledgers means investigators can trace transactions....
Over the course of 2015, many individuals and companies have been affected by ransomware. While this may have nothing to do with Bitcoin at first glance, there have been a few cases where the ransomware could only be removed by paying a certain fee in Bitcoin. But those days may be over now, as a decryption toolkit for various types of ransomware has been made publicly available, free of charge. CryptoLocker and CoinVault Ransomware. Two types of ransomware making headlines all across the world in recent months are called CryptoLocker and CoinVault. Both types of ransomware operate, in the....
In a ransomware attack, it is assumed that the hackers prefer the ransom being paid in bitcoin due to the anonymous nature of its transactions. It might not be true as the hackers are probably interested in bitcoin for entirely different reasons. Bitcoin and Ransomware, these words appear more frequently in a single sentence these days than we wish for. Ransomware attacks have become a common occurrence these days. We had earlier reported the use of Advertising network by cyber criminals to propagate ransomware to the computers belonging to the readers of some of the leading news websites.....
While some have compared Bitcoin to a tool of war, it is more like a defensive weapon that protects those who use it from authoritarianism and overreach.
The new GoldenEye ransomware poses as a resume to infect computers belonging to HR departments. James Bond, the fictional spy, has met his match when it comes to deception. A new ransomware named after one of the Bond movies, GoldenEye infects work computers by posing as a job application. According to cybersecurity researchers, the GoldenEye ransomware is a variant of previously known Petya ransomware. The ransomware targets the HR departments of the companies as they receive hundreds if not thousands of emails from unknown people applying for job positions. A well-crafted mail delivers....