Atakama expert opinion, as seen in TechNewsWorld

Despite a fall off in ransomware attacks since last year, the U.S. Marshals Service on Monday disclosed that it suffered a “major” breach of its computer network on Feb. 17 that included a ransomware component.

Numerous recent cybersecurity reports suggest that ransomware is becoming less profitable for cybercriminals as more victims refuse to pay their attackers. But a wave of ongoing hack attacks continues to target businesses and government organizations.

U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Drew Wade said in comments to news outlets on Monday, Feb. 27, that the agency received a ransomware demand and found a data exfiltration event that affected the agency’s stand-alone computer system.

According to Wade, the attack affected information involving sensitive law enforcement details, returns from legal processes, and administrative information. However, the ransomware failed to impact the Witness Security Program as the service disconnected computers from the network.

The attack also obtained personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of USMS investigations, third parties, and certain USMS employees. The breach touched records about targets of ongoing investigations, employee personal data, and internal processes.

“The data exfiltration attack against the U.S. Marshals service serves as a sobering reminder of the far-reaching and devastating effects that cyberattacks can have on our most critical institutions,” Dimitri Nemirovsky, co-founder and COO of decentralized encryption key management firm Atakama, told TechNewsWorld.

“The theft of U.S. Marshal confidential data can compromise ongoing investigations, endanger the lives of law enforcement officers, and undermine public trust in our justice system,” he added. Read more