The assailants carrying out ransomware attacks have proved hard to identify because the technology they use, like Bitcoin and anonymous messaging platforms, allows them to communicate and transact with victims without being easily tracked. Security experts said ransomware has evolved into an industry, with hundreds of gangs vying for the most lucrative victims. Some hackers have specialized in “ransomware as a service,” writing the victim-facing software and selling it to others through the so-called dark web. In recent attacks, the hackers often spent months quietly scouting out the innards of the computer networks of potential victims to ensure they have every important file tied up. Southwire filed a lawsuit against its attackers, unknown hackers, asking for the site where the company’s files had been published be taken down.

Source: New York Times February 09, 2020 22:07 UTC