WASHINGTON – The Justice Department is taking new aim at ransomware after a year that officials say was the most costly on record for the crippling cyberattacks.
Formation of a task force of FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors is an acknowledgment of the growing threat posed by ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock up computer data and demand ransom payments in order to give it back.
The force is part of a broader government effort to combat cyberattacks that target vital infrastructure, including a 100-day Biden administration initiative to bolster the digital security of electricity in the nation.
Ransomware attacks have impeded hospital operations, led to the temporary closure of school classes and caused other chaos. Last