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U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

reuters.com

171–180 of 591 posts

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Difference is if corporations and funds can't hold bitcoin/crypto - you're back to $1/BTC. The whole value proposition of BTC hype bubble bursts if it's illegal in a major market like USA. Don't doubt some cyberpunk nuts will keep playing with it.

Monero is banned by nearly every US exchange, and hard to buy with USD as a US National. It still maintains value and has seen growth. While BTC may burst, it wouldn't go to $1/BTC. it would go to a small percentage of what it is now, but still retain some value.

Yeah, not sure what it would be worth, obviously US is just one part of the BTC story, 1$ is just a random number to say it would crash super hard.

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#172

Before the yacht was launched, before it was first put in the water, there was a big problem with rats entering through the large holes in the bottom of the hull. To remedy the situation, the yacht builders began feeding a large number of cats around the base of the yacht while they finished the furnishings and painted the gold trims. The rat problem was solved and the happy day of launch is near.

That is really great, haha. What's it from?

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If other States sent proper Armies over to attack critical infrastructure the US government would surely foot the bill to aid in security. Why should cyberarmies be treated more leaniently?

I think the threat of a tomahawk missile entering your building is a pretty good incentive to not fuck with US infrastructure but that's just me.

Except you can't do that, which is why the army metaphor doesn't work.

(If you want to argue that this is a realistic response, please explain how doing so would not be acts of war, inviting both retaliation and much worse acts then justified by ours.)

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#174

Let's look at the chain of events. Computing machinery becomes exponentially cheaper, and it gets pushed into all corners of industry. Shared computing becomes a thing, and the need to have a better model of security is realized as a lesson from Viet Nam, and the Capability Based Security model is born. Microprocessors again exponentially decrease the cost of computing, and Capability Based Security isn't required be…

As someone who isn’t a security expert, If you had a magic wand, what does this future look like to you?

What is properly implemented security?

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#175
post #167

The title is a bit misleading. It is the U.S. Department of Justice that is promising to give the prosecution of these hacks a similar priority to terrorism. Not the entire United States government. Please keep this in mind before speculating about military actions or SEC regulation or new lays being passed or the intelligence community getting involved. This is about DoJ priorities.

Yes, just DOJ. So not drone strikes, but undercover FBI agents spending months trying to cajole and harass coders into writing ransomware so that they can bust them.

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If other States sent proper Armies over to attack critical infrastructure the US government would surely foot the bill to aid in security. Why should cyberarmies be treated more leaniently?

I think the threat of a tomahawk missile entering your building is a pretty good incentive to not fuck with US infrastructure but that's just me.

This probably won't be viewed as an incentive until the US demonstrates any sort of willingness to employ this strategy.

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#178
post #45
post #25

What about the other side of this? Instead of seeking backdoors and using them to spy on Americans, the NSA should be stepping up their game and securing vital infrastructure and domestic businesses against these attacks.

I'd rather not see taxpayers have to foot the bill for the profit of megacorps neglecting proper cybersecurity while sitting on mountains of tax-evaded offshore cash, thank you. The industry should be magnitudes larger than it is currently, and we shouldn't encourage corporate recklessness by socializing the costs.

Or, alternatively, the NSA could be tasked with constantly pen testing US companies' computer security. If they find a problem then they would mandate fixes and assess a hefty fine. The fine would be used to cover the NSA's costs and to pay a bounty to the individual who discovered the weakness.

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#179
post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the threat of a tomahawk missile entering your building is a pretty good incentive to not fuck with US infrastructure but that's just me.

Except you can't do that, which is why the army metaphor doesn't work. (If you want to argue that this is a realistic response, please explain how doing so would not be acts of war, inviting both retaliation and much worse acts then justified by ours.)

I mean, it can be argued that trying to damage our infrastructure by hacking our computers is just as much of an act of war as firing a missile at our infrastructure. In some cases, the effect of the damage is the same. (I admit the 'cleanup' of the Colonial Pipeline problem is much less than it would be if someone blew up the pipeline, but the impact it had on our country was similar.)

I don't expect the US to start handling this that way any time soon, but I'm not sure it'd be irrational for a nation to decide a cyberattack is, in fact, an act of war.

Re: U.S. to give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism, official says

#180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you know how absurd that would be? Bitcoin is just a database in essence It’s really bot unusual for the law to treat things differently based on the purpose for which they are used when they are “just a database, in essence”.

I know, in theory you can have a law for everything. For example, in the Soviet Union basic electronics such as radios were restricted and you were not allowed to tune your sets to western stations.

You can also have a total free for all. Murder, kidnapping, etc, all legal.

See? I can do it too.

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