"U.S. Government Sets up Ransomware Task Force, Offers $10 Million Reward for Info"
The U.S. Department of Justice said in the announcement that ransomware is a long-standing problem and a growing national security threat. Tackling this challenge requires collaboration across every level of government, the private sector, and our communities. Roughly $350 million in ransom was paid to malicious cyber actors in 2020, a more than 300% increase from the previous year. Further, there have already been multiple notable ransomware attacks in 2021. Despite making up roughly 75% of all ransomware cases, attacks on small businesses often go unnoticed. The U.S. Government has set up a cross-agency ransomware task force, a hub for ransomware resources, and is offering $10 million for information on state-sponsored cyber attackers. StopRansomware.gov integrates ransomware resources from all U.S. federal government agencies into a single platform that includes guidance on how to report attacks and the latest ransomware-related alerts and threats from the DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Secret Service, the DOJ’s FBI, the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services.