The Department of Justice has already returned ransom payments to two hospitals.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco says the Department of Justice is attacking malicious cyber-activity from all angles
In a conference on Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco praised an unnamed Kansas hospital for alerting the FBI early about the ransomware attack. It is not illegal to pay hacker ransoms, but it is discouraged by law enforcement organisations around the world.The FBI says it was swiftly notified about the payment by the medical centre, which meant officers were able to identify the never-before-seen ransomware linked to North Korea and trace the cryptocurrency to China-based money launderers.
"It's likely that the investigators were able to trace the cryptocurrency to an exchange platform, where the launderers would have sent the funds in order to cash out. Exchanges are regulated businesses and can seize their customers' funds if compelled to do so by law enforcement," he said.
"These seizures are still very rare, and it highlights the value of speedy reporting of cyber-extortion incidents, and working with law enforcement," says Jen Ellis, from cyber-security firm Rapid7.
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