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☆ DP World cyberattack: Australian ports restart some operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —One of Australia’s biggest port operators has restarted some operations after a crippling cyberattack that led to a huge backup of cargo. DP World Australia, which manages the flow of nearly 40% of the country’s goods and is owned by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World, announced Monday that the resumption came three days following a breach of its IT systems. The ports’ reopening comes after “successful tests of key systems overnight,” DP World Australia said in a statement, adding that about 5,000 containers would move out of its four terminals across the country on Monday. CNN has reached out to DP World Australia for confirmation. The Australian Federal Police told CNN on Monday that it was investigating the incident, while declining to comment further.

Persons: “, Darren Goldie, Goldie, ”, Home Affairs Clare O’Neil Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Australia’s, DP, Commercial Bank of China, Australian Financial, CNN, Fremantle, National Cyber, ABC, Australian Federal Police, Twitter, Home Affairs Locations: Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane

Lockbit was discovered in 2020 when its eponymous malicious software was found on Russian-language cybercrime forums, leading some security analysts to believe the gang is based in Russia. The gang has not professed support for any government, however, nor has any government formally attributed it to a nation-state. "We are located in the Netherlands, completely apolitical and only interested in money," the gang says on its dark web blog. The cybercrime gang infects a victim organisation's system with ransomware - malicious software that encrypts data - and then coerces targets into paying ransom to decrypt or unlock it. On the dark web, Lockbit's blog displays an ever-growing gallery of victim organisations that is updated nearly daily.

Persons: Lockbit, cybercriminals, Zeba Siddiqui, James Pearson, Rod Nickel Organizations: FRANCISCO, LONDON, Commercial Bank of China, Boeing, ION, Thomson Locations: Russia, Netherlands, United States, ICBC's U.S, San Francisco, London

The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. building at 1 Wall St. is seen in New York's financial district March 11, 2015. BNY Mellon, the sole settlement agent for Treasury securities, disconnected the Chinese bank from the platform after the hack and is waiting for a third party to attest that it is safe to reconnect, the sources said. The attack, confirmed by ICBC on Thursday, is the latest in a string of demands for ransom that hackers have claimed this year. ICBC Financial Services, the bank's U.S. unit, said it was investigating the attack that disrupted some of its systems, and making progress toward recovering from it. Reporting by Lananh Nguyen and Paritosh Bansal; Editing by Megan DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, BNY Mellon, ICBC, Lananh Nguyen, Paritosh, Megan Davies Organizations: of New York Mellon Corp, REUTERS, Commercial Bank of, Treasury, ICBC Financial Services, Thomson Locations: U.S

A Boeing logo is seen at the 54th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 18, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Boeing Co FollowLONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Internal data from Boeing (BA.N), one of the world's largest defence and space contractors, was published online on Friday by Lockbit, a cybercrime gang which extorts its victims by stealing and releasing data unless a ransom is paid. According to a post on Lockbit's website, the data from Boeing was published in the early hours of Friday morning. “We are aware that, in connection with this incident, a criminal ransomware actor has released information it alleges to have taken from our systems," Boeing said. The company said it "remains confident" the event does not pose a threat to aircraft or flight safety, but declined to comment on whether defense or other sensitive data had been obtained by Lockbit.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Lockbit, Lockbit ransomware, James Pearson, Tim Hepher, Valerie Insinna, Kirsten Donovan, David Evans, Emelia Organizations: Boeing, Paris, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Lockbit, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China's, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Le Bourget, Paris, France, United States, India, Brazil, U.S, Washington

☆ Hackers Hit U.S. Arm of Chinese Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Rebecca Feng | Matthew Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An ICBC building in Shanghai. The bank is China’s biggest. Photo: Cfoto/Zuma PressA U.S. subsidiary of China’s biggest bank was hacked this week, threatening a temporary logjam for some trades in the Treasury bond market. ICBC Financial Services, a New York-based entity owned by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China , was the victim of a ransomware attack on Wednesday. The unit largely focuses on clearing, which means ensuring that transactions previously agreed by traders go through, with the money and securities changing hands.

Organizations: Press, Treasury, ICBC Financial Services, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China Locations: Shanghai, China’s, New York

Organizations: Press, Treasury, ICBC Financial Services, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China Locations: Shanghai, China’s, New York

ICBC's U.S. unit told market participants on Friday it was hoping to finish the cyber review over the weekend, but the sources said they expected it would spill into next week. The cyberattack sent ripples through the U.S. Treasuries market, where ICBC acts as a broker for hedge funds and other market participants, helping them trade in the securities. The Chinese parent then injected capital into the U.S. unit, allowing it to settle the trades and pay back BNY Mellon, the sources said. They also told market participants about the capital injection but did not disclose the amount or the reason for it, the sources said. SIFMA, the trade group, organized calls for market participants with updates, the sources said.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, BNY Mellon, ransomware, ICBC, SIFMA, Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Scott Skyrm, Jack McIntyre, Harry Robertson, James Pearson, Naomi Rovinick, Yoruk, Davide Barbuscia, Chris Prentice, Mike Derby, Carolina Mandl, Laura Matthews, Paritosh, Zeba, Megan Davies, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alexander Smith, Richard Chang, Anna Driver Organizations: Asset Management, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, Commercial Bank of China, U.S ., ICBC Financial Services, Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, ICBC, Treasury, China, U.S, New York Federal Reserve, Securities, Depository Trust, Clearing Corp, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, ICBC's U.S, U.S, San Francisco, Treasuries, Hong Kong, Shanghai, London, Amsterdam, Carolina, New York

☆ China's ICBC, the world's biggest bank, hit by cyberattack that reportedly disrupted Treasury markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A pedestrian walks pass a branch of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Fuzhou, Fujian province of China. The U.S. financial services division of Chinese bank ICBC was hit with a cyberattack that reportedly disrupted the trading of Treasurys. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest lender by assets, said Thursday that its financial services arm experienced a ransomware attack "that resulted in disruption to certain" systems. Immediately after discovering the hack, ICBC "isolated impacted systems to contain the incident," the bank said. It involves hackers taking control of systems or information and only letting them go once the victim has paid a ransom.

Persons: ICBC, Ransomware Organizations: Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, The U.S, Commercial Bank of China Locations: Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, The

☆ Chinese bank ICBC hit by ransomware attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A US unit of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) was hit by a ransomware attack this week that disrupted some of its systems, reportedly hitting liquidity in US Treasuries which may have contributed to a brief market sell-off on Thursday. ICBC Financial Services, which is headquartered in New York, said in a statement that the attack, which happened on Wednesday, had been reported to law enforcement. “We successfully cleared US Treasury trades executed Wednesday … and [repurchase agreements] financing trades done on Thursday,” it said in the statement. The Financial Times and Reuters quoted some market participants as saying trades going through ICBC were disrupted, which affected market liquidity. It’s unclear whether the incident contributed to the weak 30-year bond auction conducted by the US Treasury Thursday.

Persons: “, ”, Wang Wenbin, Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Joe Biden, CNN’s Wayne Chang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, ICBC Financial Services, Treasury, York Branch, State, P, China’s, Ministry, Financial Times, Reuters, US Treasury, Swissquote Bank, Dow, Nasdaq, US Treasury Department Locations: China, Hong Kong, New York, Beijing, York, ICBC, Treasuries, Japan

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends a press conference after a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, ahead of a U.S.-hosted APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday said the ransomware attack on the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China that disrupted China's largest bank had not interfered with the market for U.S. government debt. "We have not seen an impact on the Treasury market," Yellen said, adding that she and China Vice Premier He Lifeng spoke about the issue during talks in San Francisco this week. The ICBC's access to an electronic settlement platform for U.S. Treasury securities remained suspended on Friday, a day after confirmation of the ransomware attack. "The Treasury Department and the United States has given "as much assistance as we possibly can to the firm in dealing with this issue," she said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Carlos Barria, Yellen, David Lawder, Ann Saphir, Diane Craft Organizations: Treasury, APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, . Treasury, Industrial, Commercial Bank of, U.S, China, Treasury Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Asia, San Francisco , California, Commercial Bank of China, San Francisco, United States

☆ Morning Bid: Powell pushback puts cloud 9 beyond reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell answers a question during a press conference following a closed two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy at the Federal Reserve in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2023. Curiously, there was little change in that basic market pricing after Powell spoke - with end-2024 futures still pointing at a rate of 4.50-4.75% versus the current 5.25-5.50%. But the Treasury market did suffer a bigger jolt - as they were also undermined by poor demand at the latest long bond auction. But others pointed to a ransomware attack on the U.S. arm of The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which reportedly disrupted trades in the Treasury market on Thursday. Whatever the main cause, fresh bond market jitters were enough to knock the S&P500 out of its winning streak and close almost 1% lower.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Kevin Lamarque, Mike Dolan, Jerome Powell's pushback, Powell's, Powell, 5bps, Sterling, Janet Yellen, Lorie Logan, Raphael Bostic, Christine Lagarde, Joachim Nagel, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Federal, Committee, Federal Reserve, REUTERS, Veterans, Commercial Bank of China, Treasury, University of Michigan, Dallas Federal, Atlanta Fed, European Central Bank, Financial Affairs, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, United States, HK, Washington, Beijing, Atlanta

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday that she agreed with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to "intensify communication" on economic issues but warned him to crack down on Chinese companies that give material support to Russia for its war in Ukraine. "During our discussions, we agreed that in-depth and frank discussions matter, particularly when we disagree," Yellen said. "And I emphasized that the current uncertain global landscape makes it particularly crucial that we maintain resilient lines of communication going forward." "We would like to see China crack down on this, especially when we're able to provide information," Yellen said. Discussing the Israel-Hamas war, Yellen spoke of the need "to prevent escalation and expansion of the conflict in the Middle East," the Treasury said in a statement.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Yellen, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Donald Trump's, Liao Min, Liao, Eric Beech, David Lawder, Ann Saphir, Andrea Shalal, David Ljunggren, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci, Grant McCool, Christian Schmollinger, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: FRANCISCO, . Treasury, Economic Cooperation, Communist Party, Treasury, U.S, APEC, REUTERS, Industrial, Commercial Bank of, Finance, Ministry of Finance, Fund, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, San Francisco, Asia, China, RUSSIA, Israel, U.S, San Francisco , California, Commercial Bank of China, Washington, Beijing, United States

☆ Brazen ransomware attack on US unit of Chinese banking giant has financial sector on alert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It led to a flurry of behind-the-scenes coordination with the affected bank and across the financial sector about the threat. The hackers hit New York-based ICBC Financial Services, a subsidiary of the world’s largest bank by assets and a Chinese state-owned institution. ICBC Financial Services did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on Friday. “If China sees this as a black eye, they may demand action from the Russian government,” Liska told CNN. LockBit ransomware was the most deployed ransomware around the world in 2022, according to US cybersecurity officials.

Persons: ”, “, ” Jon Miller, Halcyon, BNY Mellon, LockBit, Allan Liska, ” Liska, JPMorgan Chase, LockBit ransomware, ” Will Thomas Organizations: CNN, Commercial Bank of, Intelligence, Financial Services, Treasury, ICBC Financial, Reuters, JPMorgan, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, Treasury Department Locations: Commercial Bank of China, US, York, China, Russia, United States, Iran, cybersecurity

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares retreated Friday after rising bond market yields once again weighed on Wall Street, ending a lull in wider swings in prices during a brief respite from market moving data releases. A financial services business of China’s biggest bank, ICBC, said it was it by a ransomware attack that reportedly disrupted trading in the U.S. Treasury market. It was unclear how much of an impact the attack had on Treasury market trading. But it quickly sagged as Treasury yields rose following a report that suggested the U.S. job market remains remarkably solid. Topgolf Callaway Brands was another weight on the market and sank 16.9% despite beating analysts’ expectations for profit during the summer.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Australia’s, Taiwan’s Taiex, Stocks, sagged, Becton Dickinson, Brent Organizations: Investors, U.S . Federal, U.S . Treasury, Commercial Bank of China Financial Services, Treasury, Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal, Walt Disney Co, Wall, Topgolf Callaway Brands, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Shanghai, China’s, U.S, York, Bangkok

[1/2] People walk past a booth of ICBC Credit Suisse Asset Management Co at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), in Beijing, China September 5, 2020. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that business remained normal at ICBC head office, other branches and subsidiaries across the globe. Some market participants said trades going through ICBC were not settled due to the incident and that market liquidity had been affected. ICBC said it had successfully cleared Treasury trades executed on Wednesday and repurchase agreements (repo) financing trades done on Thursday. While market sources said on Thursday the impact of the ICBC hack appeared limited, the attack underlined how vulnerable systems at large organizations continue to be.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, ICBC, Wang Wenbin, Wang, Jerome Powell, Lockbit, Harry Robertson, Yoruk, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alexander Smith Organizations: Asset Management, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Global, ICBC's, Authority, Traders, U.S . Treasury, Federal, Treasury, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, China's, ICBC's U.S, Europe, Hong Kong, Shanghai, London, Amsterdam

☆ Morning Bid: 'Not confident' Powell drags markets lower
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since the Fed left rates unchanged last week, markets had increasingly grown confident that the peak in U.S. rates was in sight. But up stepped Powell to squash any hopes of an impending rate cut. "[The Fed] is committed to achieving a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation down to 2% over time," Powell said. That led stocks lower, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) skidding 1% to their lowest in a week. The rise in yields boosted the dollar, which is headed for its best week against the yen in three months.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Kevin Lamarque, Ankur Banerjee, Powell, Christine Lagarde, Walt Disney, policymaker Joachim Nagel, SNB's Thomas Moser, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Monetary Fund's, REUTERS, Ankur, European bourses, Treasury, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China's, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, European, U.S, Commercial Bank of China's U.S, Norway, Sweden

New York is the $1.35 trillion fund's only office outside mainland China besides Hong Kong. CIC asked Bai Xiaoqing, who was in charge of some of its private equity investments from Beijing, to move to New York for the North America head role, the sources said, requesting anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced. U.S. authorities have been especially suspicious of investments originating from entities close to China's communist government, like CIC. CIC is also a significant investor in U.S. private equity funds, as so-called alternative assets comprise almost half of its portfolio. One of its most prominent investments has been a $2.5 billion Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) private equity fund aimed at investing in companies that can benefit from closer U.S.-China ties.

Persons: Bai Xiaoqing, Zhang Hong, Bai, Zhang, Peng Chun, Larry Fink, Milken, Echo Wang, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Greg Roumeliotis, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: China Investment Corp, North America, CIC, Foreign Investment, American Enterprise Institute, Public, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, China -, China - U.S . Industrial Cooperation Fund, Britain, BlackRock Inc, BlackRock, China's Ministry of Finance, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: North, New York, China, Hong Kong, Washington, Beijing, United States, U.S, China - U.S, BlackRock

China's foreign ministry said on Friday the lender is striving to minimise risk impact and losses after the attack. "We don't often see a bank this large get hit with this disruptive of a ransomware attack," said Allan Liska, a ransomware expert at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. TRADES CLEAREDICBC said it had successfully cleared Treasury trades executed on Wednesday and repurchase agreements (repo) financing trades done on Thursday. Some market participants said trades going through ICBC were not settled due to the attack and affected market liquidity. The Treasury market appeared to be functioning normally on Thursday, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Kim Kyung, ICBC, Wang Wenbin, Wang, Lockbit, Allan Liska, Scott Skrym, Michael Gladchun, Loomis Sayles, SIFMA, Urvi, Pete Schroder, Gertrude Chavez, Davide Barbuscia, Carolina Mandl, Paritosh Bansal, Joe Cash, Stephen Coates, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Commercial Bank of China Ltd, REUTERS, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Commercial Bank of China's, U.S . Treasury, ICBC Financial Services, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Boeing, U.S . Treasury Department, Treasury, Securities, Financial Times, U.S . Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, U.S, Bengaluru, Washington, Carolina

☆ US Treasury Dept aware of cybersecurity issue at ICBC affecting Treasury market -spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is seen at its branch at its headquarters in Beijing, China, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd FollowWASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department is aware of a cybersecurity issue at Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (601398.SS) that has affected the Treasury market, and is in regular contact with key financial sector participants and regulators, a spokesperson said on Thursday. The Treasury issued the statement following a Financial Times report that a ransomware attack at ICBC had "disrupted" the US Treasury market by preventing the bank from settling Treasury trades on behalf of other market participants. Reporting by Pete Schroeder Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Pete Schroeder, Chris Reese Organizations: Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, REUTERS, Commercial Bank of China Ltd, WASHINGTON, U.S . Treasury, Treasury, Times, US Treasury, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, ICBC

☆ Law firm Allen & Overy hit by 'data incident'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Allen & Overy has suffered a "data incident", the London-founded law firm said on Thursday, after social media posts suggested it had been hacked by the Lockbit cybercrime gang. An Allen & Overy spokesperson said the firm had "experienced a data incident impacting a small number of storage servers", but its email and document management system had not been affected. The spokesperson also said Allen & Overy has suffered "some disruption", but that it continued to operate normally. Lockbit took credit for the hack and gave a deadline of Nov. 28 for Allen & Overy to negotiate, according to the criminal group's website on the dark web. The cyber attack on Allen & Overy follows last month's confirmation of its merger with U.S. law firm Shearman & Sterling, to create one of the world's largest legal practices.

Persons: Kacper, Overy, Lockbit, Allen, Wales –, Shearman, Sam Tobin, James Pearson, Sarah Young, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Allen, Financial Times, Overy, Overy's, Boeing, Royal, Authority, Wales, U.S, Sterling, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, London, United States, Britain, England

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC)'s logo is seen at its branch in Beijing, China, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd FollowNov 9 (Reuters) - A ransomware attack on Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) disrupted some trades in the U.S. Treasury market on Thursday, the Treasury Department said. In ransomware attacks, hackers encrypt an organization's systems and demand ransom payments in exchange for unlocking them. The Financial Times reported earlier on Thursday that the U.S. Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) told members that ICBC (601398.SS) had been hit by ransomware that disrupted the U.S. Treasury market by preventing it from settling trades on behalf of other market players. We continue to monitor the situation," a Treasury spokesperson said in a response to a question about the FT report.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Urvi, Pete Schroder, Zeba Siddiqui, Alexander Smith, Michelle Price, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Commercial Bank of China Ltd, REUTERS, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, U.S . Treasury, Treasury Department, Financial Times, U.S . Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, U.S, Bengaluru, Washington

A Boeing logo is seen at the 54th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 18, 2023. The Lockbit threat was no longer on the gang's website as of Wednesday, and it didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Boeing declined to comment on whether Lockbit was behind the cyber incident it disclosed. It's unclear what data Lockbit may have stolen from the company. "Paying the ransom would simply elicit a pinky promise from LockBit that they will destroy whatever data they obtained," Callow said.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, didn't, Lockbit, Brett Callow, Emsisoft, Callow, Valerie Insinna, Chris Reese, Lisa Shumaker, Jamie Freed Organizations: Boeing, Paris, REUTERS, Rights, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Global Services, Services, Thomson Locations: Le Bourget, Paris, France

☆ Alliance of 40 countries to vow not to pay ransom to cybercriminals, US says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Zeba Siddiqui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

White House Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, Anne Neuberger, addresses cyber security during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. September 2, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Forty countries in a U.S.-led alliance plan to sign a pledge never to pay ransom to cybercriminals and to work toward eliminating the hackers' funding mechanism, a senior White House official said on Tuesday. The International Counter Ransomware Initiative comes as the number of ransomware attacks grows worldwide. In ransomware attacks, hackers encrypt an organization's systems and demand ransom payments in exchange for unlocking them. Partner countries will share a "black list" through the U.S. Department of Treasury that will include information on digital wallets being used to move ransomware payments, Neuberger said.

Persons: Anne Neuberger, Jonathan Ernst, Biden, Neuberger, Chainalysis, Zeba Siddiqui, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: White, Technology, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, White House, MGM Resorts International, Reuters, U.S . Department of Treasury, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, United States, Lithuania, Israel, UAE, San Francisco

"The actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven't seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago," Wray said. The remarks came during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee focused on threats to the United States. The number of attacks on U.S. military bases overseas by Iran-backed militia groups have risen this month, Wray said. Cyber attacks against the U.S. by Iran and non-state actors will likely worsen if the conflict expands, he said. During the hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that hate directed at Jewish students in the U.S. following the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza has added to an increase in antisemitism.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Christopher Wray, Christine Abizaid, Wray, General Merrick Garland, Ted Hesson, Doina Chiacu, Andrew Goudsward, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Homeland, FBI, National Counterterrorism, Senate Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Capitol, ISIS, U.S . Senate Homeland Security, U.S, United Nations, Jewish, White, U.S . Justice Department, Thomson Locations: United States, Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Arab, Iran, Washington

The White House is pictured from the West Wing Driveway in Washington, U.S., February 10, 2022. Analysts say ransomware attackers also increasingly steal sensitive data to extort victims. The White House has long advised against paying ransoms and has been pushing other countries to make the same commitment. During the third International Counter Ransomware Initiative, the administration will announce “significant” outcomes, including initiatives for sharing information on the ransomware attackers between counties. Figuring out the scale of ransomware attacks can be tricky because many companies don’t report them.

Persons: Tom Brenner, Ransomware, “ We're, Costa, South Korea –, ”, Trevor Hunnicutt, Zeba Siddiqui, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Analysts, Initiative, Interpol, European Union, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Nigeria, Costa Rice, Singapore, South Korea

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