The Biden Administration Cracks Down on Ransomware
Following several significant ransomware attacks against U.S. companies last summer, the Biden administration has acted internationally and domestically to punish the perpetrators and prevent future attacks. As part of a shift from addressing ransomware as a law enforcement matter to treating it as a national security threat, the administration has targeted ransomware infrastructure, clawing back ransom payments and disrupting ransomware groups, while also targeting individual ransomware operators with indictments and sanctions. The administration is also offering rewards for information leading to the identification and arrest of ransomware operators and continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at convincing other governments to act against ransomware groups. Whether the administration's holistic approach to combatting ransomware will prove effective in decreasing ransomware attacks remains to be seen.