Chattanooga Times Free Press

U.S. takes aim at ransomware

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The Justice Department has assembled a task force to confront ransomware after what officials say was the most costly year on record for the crippling cyberattac­ks.

The task force of FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutor­s is an acknowledg­ment of the growing threat posed by ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock up computer data and demand ransom payments in order to give it back. Ransomware attacks have impeded hospital operations, led to the temporary closure of school classes and caused other chaos.

The task force and its goals were laid out in a memo this week from John Carlin, a senior Justice Department official.

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