The Biden administration is sounding increasingly urgent alarms about high-profile ransomware attacks that have caused widespread gas shortages, shut meat processing plants and paralyzed hospitals, as officials step up efforts to counter cyberthreats.
Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday that the ransomware threat was comparable to the challenge of global terrorism in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001 attack.
“There are a lot of parallels, there’s a lot of importance, and a lot of focus by us on disruption and prevention,” Mr. Wray said. “There’s a shared responsibility, not just across government agencies but across the private sector and even the average American.”
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/us/politics/ransomware-cyberattacks-sept-11-fbi.html
Also see:
FBI Statement on Recent Ransomware Attacks
With the recent rapid increase in ransomware attacks against private sector companies, the FBI has made these investigations a top priority. The FBI has a long-standing history of confronting unique challenges in the cyberspace and imposing risk and consequences on our nation’s cyber adversaries. Through trust-based relationships with our private sector partners, we are indispensable in the fight against cyberattacks. If you believe you have been a victim of a cybercrime, contact your local FBI field office.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-recent-ransomware-attacks