Ransomware Moves from Economic Nuisance to National Security Threat
Voice of America
22 May 2021, 22:35 GMT+10
WASHINGTON - The recent cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline, the operator of the largest petroleum pipeline in the U.S., shows how internet criminals are increasingly targeting companies and organizations for ransom in what officials and experts term a growing national security threat.
These hackers penetrate victims computer systems with a form of malware that encrypts the files, then they demand payments to release the data. In 2013, a ransomware attack typically targeted a person s desktop or laptop, with users paying $100 to $150 in ransom to regain access to their files, according to Michael Daniel, president and CEO of Cyber Threat Alliance.
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Should you worry about gasoline supply in York County?
York Dispatch
York County residents don t have to worry about a gasoline shortage, even as pictures on the internet show people hoarding fuel in containers and garbage bags.
Panic-buying erupted last week after gas stations from Texas through the southeast faced significant outages when the Colonial Pipeline shut down due to a ransomware attack.
Pennsylvania, however, was not affected, industry experts said.
“You guys have been fine,” said Allison Mac, an analyst for GasBuddy, “We’re not even tracking Pennsylvania when it comes to shortages.”
The operator of the pipeline, which runs along the eastern border of Pennsylvania, has since paid roughly $5 million to recover stolen data, according to The New York Times.