Tag Archives: DOJ

The Biden administration has outlined several initiatives aimed at countering ransomware incidents. The initiatives are classified into four lines of effort: disrupting ransomware actors and infrastructure; bolstering resilience to withstand ransomware attacks; addressing the abuse of virtual currency to launder ransom payments, and leveraging international cooperation to disrupt the ransomware ecosystem and address safe harbors for ransomware criminals.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has formed a new team to help conduct investigations and prosecute crimes associated with virtual currency exchanges, money laundering and other cryptocurrency cases. “As the technology advances, so too must the Department evolve with it so that we’re poised to root out abuse on these platforms and ensure user confidence in these systems,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. 

Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan, D-N.H., has asked the Department of Justice about authorities used by agencies within DOJ to regulate U.S. cryptocurrency exchanges, kiosks, over-the-counter cryptocurrency trading desks and their users. The senator made the inquiry amid the increasing use of the new financial technology for criminal purposes.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco has announced a new fellowship program at the Department of Justice meant to train and build a pool of attorneys and prosecutors that could handle cybersecurity cases. Under the three-year Cyber Fellowship program, the selected attorneys will have a chance to conduct investigations and prosecute ransomware attacks, state-sponsored cyberthreats, transnational criminal groups and use of cryptocurrency to fund cybercrimes.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed 24 Chief Financial Officers Act agencies on their use of facial recognition technology in fiscal year 2020 and found that 18 of those agencies reported using FRT for one or several purposes. GAO reported that 16 agencies said they are using the technology for cybersecurity or digital access.

Paul Courtney, acting chief procurement officer at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has assumed the position on a full-time basis. He joined DHS in June 2019 as deputy CPO and assumed the CPO role on an interim basis following the retirement of Soraya Correa in July 2021.

The 12th iteration of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard shows that four agencies saw improvement in their letter grades and those are the General Services Administration (GSA), the departments of the Interior and State and the Social Services Administration (SSA). GSA is the only agency that received an A+ rating in the scorecard.

The departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) have unveiled a new website to serve as a central hub of federal cybersecurity resources to help U.S. companies and public sector organizations protect their networks from ransomware attacks. Attorney General Merrick Garland said DOJ is working to bring all tools to counter ransomware attacks through the Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force.

The FBI used a mobile communications platform and collaborated with foreign law enforcement agencies in a global sting operation that led to more than 800 arrests of crime network members across 16 countries. The bureau and its international partners covertly tracked suspected transnational criminal activity using the encrypted Anom messaging system as part of Operation Trojan Shield.

Officials from the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday the recovery of $2.3 million in bitcoin paid to a group of cyber hackers responsible for the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline. Paul Abbate, deputy director of the FBI, said agents identified the digital currency wallet used by the DarkSide group to collect ransomware payments from the oil company.