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If victims would report the ransomware attacks, then the DOJ and FBI could help them, said US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
The news came on Tuesday, undoubtedly mentioning an instance of hack but this was somewhat different. A group of hackers—allegedly said to be somehow connected to the government of North Korea—stole about $500K worth of fiat and crypto. However, the US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation in a joint operation, successfully managed to seize and return the stolen amount.
The DOJ, in association with the FBI, said that it had thrown an investigation on a ransomware payment of about $100K in bitcoin (BTC). This transaction was initiated from a hospital based in Kansas, a Midwestern state in the US. At the receiving end of this ransom payment was a hacking group from North Korea, who blocked the hospital’s access to its systems.
The Justice Department also outlined another case of similar ransomware attack on a Colorado based medical facility. The similar wallet address, received by BTC from the Kansas based hospital, used to receive about $120K worth of payment in bitcoin (BTC). The FBI was involved in the case and filed a seizure warrant for the stolen funds from both the ransom attacks on hospitals along with several others. The Justice Department clarified that the overall amount of the stolen assets accounts for about $500,000.
Duston Slinkar—US Attorney at the Kansas District—said that such criminals now are not confined within the boundaries and are constantly searching for new ways to extract money either via ransom or hacks or by any other illicit means. Ransom is becoming one such way where the hacker asks money from the victims in exchange for control of their own systems.
However, while claiming the commitment of the American Justice Department, Slinkar said that no matter how hard these hackers try, they should know the capabilities of the Department of Justice. He spoke of the DOJ’s capability to recover the funds and return them to their owners.
On Tuesday, during an International Conference on Cyber Security, US Deputy Attorney General—Lisa Monaco said, the authorities are very much dependent upon the victims to report any hack or ransomware attack they encounter. Monaco said while invoking people to report the incident, as soon as possible, and work with the FBI. She said that while doing so, the authorities could get the money and bring it back to the victims. In this way, the following further attacks can also be prevented.
Steve Anderson is an Australian crypto enthusiast. He is a specialist in management and trading for over 5 years. Steve has worked as a crypto trader, he loves learning about decentralisation, understanding the true potential of the blockchain.
