Are we really held ransom?

Here's the thing: the NSA, CIA, FBI and Lord knows how many other alphabet security and law enforcement agencies have access to some of the most powerful and sophisticated computers in the world. They can hand me a book detailing my life from cradle to grave, listing friends, family, phone calls, net sites visited, school records medical records, etc.

And yet this "ransom ware" seems to be the unbeatable software program that can bring the country to it's knees
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/securi...mware-hackers-5-million-u-s-official-n1267286

So why can't the federal government do something directly useful and distribute to the masses a flashcard containing programs to block ransom ware? Better than a bunch of private companies selling half assed products for an inflated price while competing against each other. Just saying.

 

The people who sign positions to close pipelines are in charge and we are supposed to believe they aren't behind the attack. Is Putin trying to help our green economy by attacking our oil?

 

New viruses come out every day. By the time flash drives were distributed they would be obsolete.

Ransomware crooks aren't interest in small dollar hauls. Why would they have any interest in John or Jane Doe?

 

Capitalism.
And every invented system by man, can be hacked by man.

Our oil wasn't attacked.

 

Any system full stop can be hacked. We've hacked the human genome. We have processes to get that sweet sweet cocaine out of coca plants.

All economic systems are systems.

 

are you some kinda soculust? great americans like norton, mcafee and kaspersky deserve to be bullionaires too.

 

ridiculous. the oil companies are still in charge and for them, supply disruptions like this are extremely profitable.

 

For smaller hauls. I get email demands ranging from $500 to $1500 pretty often. They aren't ransomware because they can't actually shut down my network. Unlike the pipeline company, my network is protected against ransomware. They are just a threat attempting to create fear and get money.

Prior to the internet, the pipeline company operated just fine. It has been in business for 60 years. In their shoes, I would take their operation off the internet. They can manage like they did pre-internet or manage a computerized system using landline telephone connections off the internet.

They should not have paid the ransom. They should have gone about wiping hard drives and restoring backups until the ransomware was gone. It would have added few days to the fuel crisis but that would have been better than inviting more ransomware attacks.

 

Our government needs to do two things -- First let all countries know if we are attacked by a cyber attack, ransom ware, computer, what ever, we will cyber attack back and shut their entire systems down. To do this we need to recruit the geniuses in the computer fields into a group. Call 'em the FCR department (Federal Cyber Retaliators). Second we need to pass a law that it is a federal crime to pay ransom to ransom ware criminals. If they can't collect it removes their motive. It's time to move on this.

 

Says the person who does not own an oil company, but knows all about how they work because he buys their products..

 

LOL -- Good one.

 

Don't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy and SECURE knowing EVERYTHING in life now is controlled by computers accessible from ANYWHERE in the world by ANYONE with advanced knowledge and malicious intent....yeah, baby!

 

This just came over the news . . .

Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) has ruled out giving in to hackers' demands as the country's healthcare and social services continue to deal with the disruption caused by a significant ransomware attack that occurred a few days ago.

The HSE has now confirmed that a ransom has been sought by the attackers, although the exact amount is yet to be clarified. "Following an initial assessment we know this is a variant of the Conti virus that our security providers had not seen before. A ransom has been sought and won't be paid in line with state policy," the HSE said.

 

ransom ware has been targetin John and Jane Doe for some time now.....I know several people who were victims. To date, private companies have had a 50/50 chance of fixing most PC's....one would think the folk mentioned in the OP would be ahead of the curve, having to deal with international encryptions on a daily basis. Just saying.

 

Ahh, a conspiracy to boost the black line profits for the oil industry affected by one year of Covid. Sadly, I wouldn't put it past some folk.

 

They say in the old wild west the way they stopped horse stealing was by making it a hanging offense. Just saying. Is that OK moderators?

 

good for them.

 

they'd have to catch the lil bastids first. I say serious federal time for just screwing with the general population, death penalty for hospitals, power grids, etc.

 

Its a push for legal monopoly via total centralization. The corporations want total control. The government wants total control. The two are no longer competing, but rather acting in concert, promising eachother a seat at 'the table.' Together they can sabotage everything to rebuild it in a way that eliminates choice and solidifies our dependence on their system.

 

Just the money, or criptocoin, or bitcoin or what ever they call it.

 

Solution: Physically disconnect critical systems from the public network. Ransomware problem solved.

 

Would you mind expounding on your comment? Who are these people that have been targets (no names or company names)? They had to have something "of value" to be targeted.

 

Communications companies have millions of miles of fiber optic cable running through this country. Companies like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and many others rent dark fibers to any company that wants one. These days fiber is almost everywhere, and the places where it aint won't cost much to build. With that said, companies that need vital secure networks can rent fibers and keep their systems closed. They can use the regular internet for email and the like, just not operations.

And I don't know anything about computer coding, but would it be possible to have a proprietary operating system that won't recognize malicious malware?

 

Just like Muh Rushans hacked the DNC, until they didn't, lol. But hey, that Big Lie was useful for 4 years or so.