By Justin Katz
Jun 09, 2021
The White House on Thursday sent out a memo to industry leaders warning them to take steps to protect themselves against ransomware in light of several high-profile attacks on U.S. companies this year as well as a general uptick documented throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The memo, from Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, also states the administration is actively developing policies related making ransom payments, an issue that was re-ignited after Colonial Pipeline s CEO publicly said his company paid a ransom after their own systems were compromised in May.
By Justin Katz
Colonial Pipeline chief Joseph Blount faced a second round of questioning on Wednesday, this time from House lawmakers, including a series of inquiries about the financial ramifications of the $4.3 million ransom payment made to the criminal group Darkside in May.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, where Blount appeared alongside a FireEye executive, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) grilled the Colonial executive on whether his company held cybersecurity insurance and if the payment would be reimbursed.
Blount during testimony this week has repeatedly stated the decision to pay was his alone and defended it as the right one to make. Responding to Langevin, he said the company has submitted a claim to the insurance company but has not yet received a response.
By Justin Katz
The White House on Thursday sent out a memo to industry leaders warning them to take steps to protect themselves against ransomware in light of several high-profile attacks on U.S. companies this year as well as a general uptick documented throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The memo, from Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, also states the administration is actively developing policies related making ransom payments, an issue that was re-ignited after Colonial Pipeline s CEO publicly said his company paid a ransom after their own systems were compromised in May. The most important takeaway from the recent spare of ransomware attacks … is that companies that view ransomware as a threat to their core business operations rather than a simple risk of data theft will react and recover more effectively, Neuberger wrote.
By Justin Katz
The Supreme Court on Thursday narrowed the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in a 6-3 decision that leaves open questions about the law s application in the future.
The decision in Van Buren v. United States brought together a coalition of left-leaning and right-leaning justices. The case represents one of the most significant looks at the 1980s-era CFAA, which prohibits individuals from accessing a computer without authorization or exceeding authorized access and is a key statute in prosecuting computer crimes.
In the case that reached the high court Nathan Van Buren, a former police officer, was convicted of a CFAA violation after he was discovered using his official access to obtain information about an individual in exchange for a bribe. The case came to light in an FBI sting operation that targeted Van Buren. The ruling reversed a circuit court decision upholding Van Buren s conviction and remanded the case for further consideration in light of th