The Justice Department is giving higher priority to investigations of ransomware attacks, on par with terrorism, after a series of major cyberattacks recently on critical sectors, including gas and meat production, elevated the problem.
Recent ransomware attacks by Russian hacking groups on the computer systems of the Colonial Pipeline gas operator and JBS, the biggest beef producer in the United States, among other entities, have forced the Justice Department to focus greater attention and resources on cyberattacks and roll out new initiatives, a senior Justice Department communications official confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
Internal guidance sent on Thursday to Justice Department attorneys’ offices across the country said information about ransomware investigations into hacking groups would now be centrally coordinated by a new task force, Reuters reported.
“It’s a specialized process to ensure we track all ransomware cases regardless of where it may be referred in this country, so you can make the connections between actors and work your way up to disrupt the whole chain,” John Carlin, the acting deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, wrote in internal guidance.
“We’ve used this model around terrorism before but never with ransomware,” Carlin added.
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The change means that investigations U.S. attorneys’ offices in various jurisdictions responsible for tackling ransomware attacks will now be required to share information they find and update case details with officials at the headquarters in Washington, signifying the growing importance of such attacks.
The White House on Thursday pushed businesses and companies to take cyberattacks more seriously, outlining in a letter steps organizations should take to protect themselves from such attacks.
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The White House letter stressed that the Biden administration and the federal government are “working with like-minded partners around the world to disrupt and deter ransomware actors.”
