https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisers
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Critical Infrastructure


Ransomware losses on track to exceed $1 billion this year in U.S., panel testifies to Congress

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 19th May 2016
Ransomware attacks on the computer systems of governments, enterprises and individuals continues to grow, with losses on pace to exceed $1 billion during 2016, federal lawmakers and panelist said yesterday during a Senate subcommittee hearing to explore the issue.

What is in this article?

  • Ransomware losses on track to exceed $1 billion this year in U.S., panel testifies to Congress
  • Ransomware losses on track to exceed $1 billion this year in U.S., panel testifies to Congress

Ransomware losses on track to exceed $1 billion this year in U.S., panel testifies to Congress

Ransomware attacks on the computer systems of governments, enterprises and individuals continues to grow, with losses on pace to exceed $1 billion during 2016, federal lawmakers and panelist said yesterday during a Senate subcommittee hearing to explore the issue.

Ransomware is computer malware that infects a computer and spread to other devices on an enterprise network, allowing the perpetrator to encrypt data on the system until the enterprise pays a ransom fee to receive a decryption key enabling access to the data. Reported ransoms have ranged from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, and they are typically paid in Bitcoin, a digital payment system that allows the recipient to remain anonymous.

Ransomware is a digital version of a longtime criminal scheme, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said during yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on the subject.

“This is as old as time itself; this is just a different way of shaking people down and stealing,” Graham said during the hearing, an archive of which is available online. “The bottom line is the oldest concept out there: shaking you down, taking something that is important to you, holding it hostage and extracting money from you.

“When it comes to systems that hospitals need and school districts need, you’re threatening the lives and safety of thousands of people … It is a terrible crime, and it has its own psychological, violent aspect to it, and it’s just a matter of time until somebody physically gets hurt because these systems go down.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said ransomware attacks are on pace to inflict more than $1 million in losses this year, according to the FBI. More than a dozen hospitals already have been attacked by ransomware in 2016, he said.

“Attacks like these prevent doctors and nurses from accessing patient files, and they slow down the processing of lab results,” Whitehouse said. “In one case, a patient was kept on a powerful antibiotic for more than eight hours after it should have been stopped, because the nurse could not get the lab results, which were delayed as a result of the ransomware attack.

“The message from this should also be that we’re at a stage where it’s not just breaches any longer. We’ve jumped from cyber into real space with some of these things … This is a warning, I think, to all of us that we need to up our game.”

Richard Downing, acting deputy assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), confirmed that reported ransomware attacks in 2016 are on pace to generate losses in excess of $1 billion. In fact, the real figure could be much greater, he said.

“It’s hard to know where it would all end,” Downing said. “The reports of [ransomware] are much lower than the instances of it actually happening.”

1 | 2 |
Ransomware losses on track to exceed $1 billion this year in U.S., panel testifies to Congress
Tags: Hospital/Medical Security Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Enterprise News Policy Security Software State & Local Government News

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Asylon: Michael Quiroga demonstrates automated battery-exchange system for company's drones
  • Qwake Technologies: Bryce Stirton of Responder Corp explains how C-THRU technology can help firefighters navigate smoky rooms
  • FCC adopts new rules for Z-axis vertical location of wireless 911 callers, but critics question their practical use

Commentary


T-Mobile proposal of free 5G for public safety is a great idea, but there are a lot of caveats

15th November 2019

911 dispatch centers can take multiple steps to combat cyberattacks

15th November 2019

Proposed three-digit suicide-prevention ‘Lifeline’ would benefit public-safety communications

  • 1
4th October 2019
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Our last #PTT and #futureofvoice webinar is on Dec 12! Join us for the "Decision time: Balancing Investments in MC… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

4th December 2019
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: Join us on Mar 30 - Apr 3 for the premier #criticalcommunications event! The five-day event features an 80,000 square foot ex…

3rd December 2019
UrgentComm

Interested in learning about new opportunities at #IWCE 2020? Join us on Dec 17 for the New Show Features & Opportu… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

3rd December 2019
UrgentComm

Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁 We hope you enjoy a big feast tomorrow. To kick off the saving season, we're dishing up a del… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th November 2019
UrgentComm

Can't make the entire #IWCE conference? Visit the 80,000 square foot Exhibit Hall for FREE! Expand your knowledge o… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

19th November 2019
UrgentComm

The new APX NEXT #P25 radio with ViQi voice-assistant technology can be leveraged to access database information vi… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

19th November 2019
UrgentComm

Product manager at @L3HarrisTech, Don Griffis, explains that the company's XL200P & XL-185P converged P25 radios wi… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

18th November 2019
UrgentComm

.@TMobile announces a 10-year initiative providing #publicsafety agencies with access to free, unlimited talk, text… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

15th November 2019

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy
  • Terms
Copyright ©2019 Informa PLC. Informa Telecoms & Media Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 00991704 whose registered office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG. VAT GB365462636. Informa Telecoms & Media Limited is part of Informa PLC.
Websites are now required by law to gain your consent before applying cookies. We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Parts of the website may not work as expected without them. By closing or ignoring this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
X