tech
We Know You Can Pay a Million by Anja Shortland review
Criminals extorting money online have created huge businesses, complete with branding and HR
TL;DR
- Ransomware originated as a primitive computer virus stunt in 1989 by Joseph L Popp Jr, who intended to make a point rather than profit.
- Modern ransomware involves hackers encrypting data, demanding payment for decryption keys, and often stealing sensitive data for further extortion ('double extortion').
- Technological breakthroughs, including untraceable communications (TOR), decentralized currency (bitcoin), and asymmetric encryption, were crucial for ransomware's profitability.
- Criminal organizations now operate with branding, affiliates, salaried employees, and even human resources departments.
- Ransomware attacks carry significant economic costs and psychological tolls on victims, with potential to paralyze entire economies.
- Healthcare systems are frequent targets, turning ransomware into a lethal crime, not just an economic one.
- Major ransomware operations are often linked to nation-states like Russia and North Korea, raising national security concerns.
- The future threat of AI-enabled cyberwarfare is a significant concern, with the potential for widespread disruption and catastrophic risk.
- The article suggests managing ransomware risk and learning to live with the threat, similar to pandemic preparedness, may be the most realistic approach.