Articles by Kartikay Mehrotra and Olga Kharif

Behind the Crypto Broker Accused of Enabling Ransomware Hackers

A cryptocurrency broker that the Biden administration considers a key cog in the recent ransomware epidemic is legally registered in the Czech Republic but doesn’t appear to have an office there. It may be operating out of Moscow’s tallest skyscraper …

Biden Administration Targets Crypto Pipelines in Fight Against Ransomware Attacks

The Biden administration plans a fresh campaign against ransomware attacks through sanctions to cut off criminals’ cryptocurrency pipelines, and it urged companies to report extortion attempts and better protect themselves from them. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told reporters that …

U.S. Goes on Offense to Fight Growing Threat of Cyber Attacks

For the last several years, FBI agents debated turning the tables on hackers by remotely accessing breached computer networks and booting out the attackers caught in mid-hack. They got their chance earlier this year after state-backed Chinese hackers compromised thousands …

U.S. Water, Power Cyber Networks Are Shockingly Vulnerable to Hacks

When the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was hacked in 2018, it took a mere six hours. Early this year, an intruder lurked in hundreds of computers related to water systems across the U.S. In Portland, Oregon, burglars …

Russia-Linked Hacking Group Is Behind JBS Cyber Attack: Sources

A notorious Russia-linked hacking group is behind the cyber attack against JBS SA, according to four people familiar with the assault who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The cyber gang goes by the name REvil or …

CNA Paid $40 Million in Ransom After March Cyber Attack

CNA Financial Corp., among the largest insurance companies in the U.S., paid $40 million in late March to regain control of its network after a ransomware attack, according to people with knowledge of the attack. The Chicago-based company paid the …

Cyber Ransom Payments Set a Bad Precedent But Happen Often

The U.S. government’s fight to choke off ransom payments collected by hackers hit a major snag Thursday, following news that Colonial Pipeline Co. paid a hefty sum to hackers who for several days this week effectively shut down the country’s …

China’s Microsoft Hack, Russia’s SolarWinds Attack Threaten to Overwhelm U.S.

China’s global attack on Microsoft’s popular email software revealed last week and an equally sprawling Russian attack discovered three months ago have created a two-front war that threatens to overwhelm cybersecurity’s emergency responders, according to former U.S. officials and private …

SolarWinds Attackers Focused on Cyber and Tech Firms

Whether it was opportunity, strategy or sheer chutzpah, the suspected Russian hackers behind a massive cyber-attack revealed last month focused particular attention on technology companies, including cyber-security firms entrusted to find malicious activity in their clients’ networks. Four cyber-security companies …

U. of California, San Francisco, Paid $1.14M After Ransomware Attack

The University of California, San Francisco paid criminal hackers $1.14 million this month to resolve a ransomware attack. The hackers encrypted data on servers inside the school of medicine, the university said Friday. While researchers at UCSF are among those …