Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, May 23, 2022
Ransomware is a dangerous form of cyber-attack where threat actors prevent access to computer systems or threaten to release data unless a ransom is paid. It has the power to bankrupt businesses and cripple critical infrastructure – posing a grave threat to our national and economic security. The use of cryptocurrencies has further enabled ransomware attacks, particularly because cryptocurrency is decentralized and distributed and illicit actors can take steps to obscure transactions and make them more difficult to track.