Tech your username January 29, 2021 The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that it launched a coordinated international law enforcement action effort against NetWalker, what it called “a sophisticated form of ransomware.” The DOJ claimed that the NetWalker ransomware has affected numerous victims, such as “companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities.” According to the Department, the ransomware attacks have “specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.” The DOJ explained that it brought charges against a Canadian national regarding the attacks where more than $27.6 million was purportedly obtained. Other actions included the seizure of ransomware payments including approximately $454,530.19 in cryptocurrency from three separate attacks and the disabling of a “dark web hidden resource used to communicate with NetWalker ransomware victims.”