Ransomware Discussion Thread

[pureantigravity]

It was 2018 and I was at the dentist. Laying back in the chair, with the instruments of death in my mouth. The secretary came in and asked to my dentist ,"Where do you want me to put those notes?" To which the dentist replied, "Just write them down and we will sort this out later."

Ah ha! Ever curious ... and now notably distracted from my in-progress root canal, in a tongue twisted sort of way I mumbled "Good ol' paper!" To which the dentist replied, "Good ol' Ransomware!"

Turns out that my dentist's computer system was hacked and the office was resorting to sticky notes and files because the entire system was encrypted for a ransom payment.

The Ransomware Problem Is a Bitcoin Problem
https://www.lawfareblog.com/ransomwa...itcoin-problem

What is the problem - the real problem? What is the solution? Where is this all going?

[JimmyCarter]

It's a small price to pay for all the benefits bitcoin brings to society, like ummm
...the ability to transfer large amounts of money anonymously.

[Core Shot]

It's a small price to pay for all the benefits bitcoin brings to society, like ummm
...the ability to transfer large amounts of money anonymously.

Not for long.

Central banks ain’t allowing that shit.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Not for long.

Central banks ain’t allowing that shit.

I think you should consider that the post you quoted might be sarcasm


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[jono]

Different thread

[old goat]

From Krugman in the NYT
"So is the dollar’s status completely irrelevant? No. The dollar’s popularity does give America a unique export industry — namely, dollars themselves. Or more specifically, Benjamins — $100 bills, which bear the portrait of Benjamin Franklin.

These days the ordinary business of life is largely digital; many Americans rarely use cash. Even the sidewalk fruit and vegetable kiosks in New York often take Venmo. Given that lived reality, it’s jarring to learn just how much currency is in circulation: more than $2 trillion, or more than $6000 for every U.S. resident.

What’s all that cash being used for? One important clue is the denomination of the notes out there:


Yep, it’s mainly Benjamins, which by and large can’t even be used in stores. They are used for payments people don’t want easily traced, usually because they’re doing something illicit.

And here’s where the dollar plays a special role: We have a lot more large-denomination notes in circulation, relative to the size of our economy, than other countries. In 2016, the value of large-denomination U.S. notes in circulation was more than 6 percent of G.D.P.; the corresponding figure for Canada was only a third as much. The main reason for the difference, almost surely, is that a lot of $100 bills are being held outside the U.S.

This willingness of foreigners to hold American cash means, in effect, that the world has lent the U.S. a substantial amount of money — maybe on the order of $1 trillion — at zero interest. That’s not a big deal when interest rates are as low as they are now, but in the past it has been worth more — maybe as much as one quarter percent of G.D.P.

America does, then, get some advantage from the special role of the dollar. But it’s hardly a major pillar of U.S. power. And being the world’s primary supplier of assets used in illegal activity isn’t exactly a role filled with glory."

But you can't pay online ransom with $100 bills, so Bitcoin should be around for a while.

[highangle]

I wonder if they're still using all those old $100 bills we sent to Columbia in the 80s?

[MakersTeleMark]

[Bunion 2020]

I wonder if they're still using all those old $100 bills we sent to Columbia in the 80s?

Gotta wonder where all those pallets of shrink wrapped 100s from the Middle East are at.

[old goat]

Gotta wonder where all those pallets of shrink wrapped 100s from the Middle East are at.

They threw out the hundreds because they needed the pallets.

[ötzi]

I wonder if they're still using all those old $100 bills we sent to Columbia in the 80s?

Are they like Cuba is with cars?

[ötzi]

The Times had a good article today about the Russian ransomware industry. I saw it in the paper edition and can't find the article on the online edition but it'll probably be there tomorrow

[riser4]

All those pallets we burned in college. Who knew? A kid had a source and we would build scary big fires. The kind that fall over and people get hurt. Thankfully we were mostly unscathed. Lost more than a few braincells.

[old goat]

Wonder what they're going to build the unofficial burning man with. Maybe $100 bills.

[Core Shot]

All those pallets we burned in college. Who knew? A kid had a source and we would build scary big fires. The kind that fall over and people get hurt. Thankfully we were mostly unscathed. Lost more than a few braincells.

Farm parties were the best

Pallets
Sofas
Acetylene bombs
Wait. Never mind. Forget that

[RShea]

Ransomware is not only a Bitcoin problem, there are other cryptocurrencies out there now. So the shutting down of Bitcoin is not going to be the answer as they can just move on to some other crypto currency that is not Bitcoin. The things that will stop Ransomware are 3 things. Better computer and network security with multiple layers of protection- email and phishing so messages do not get through to inboxes, firewalls and routers updated and secured properly, PC's, Servers and especially IoT devices out there properly secured and if internet is required for a function it is properly isolated , including the clients and end users not falling for phishing or scam email or links that go to questionable and untrusted web sites. Having good tested current backups so it is cheaper to just reload the PC or servers and restore from good backups and not pay the ransom. And of course more investigations of the criminals trying to do this (which is the hardest of the 3 by far since many are not touchable in foreign countries and little cooperation of the foreign governments when it is know to originate outside of the FBI or other federal agencies the DHS or even the CIA...)

When it becomes less lucrative and a very small percentage of the encryption efforts result in no payments, then they will move on to other criminal activities or scams like robo calling that the IRS is coming to arrest you, or your cousin is in jail and needs bail money or what ever the latest social media or other electronic scam is popular and lucrative ...

(PS: you mentioned the Dental Offices- this was an attack on a particular Patient Management and Dental Line of Business Software that was compromised. Just like the Solar Winds issue, if you have a software package with a security hole, and it is not patched or passwords are not secured, then there will be more exploits like this in the months and years to come.)

[schuss]

The problem is that most shit is incredibly insecure and no one takes the time to properly deal with cybersecurity. Given that it can be executed remotely with basically no risk to the ransomers, bitcoin is somewhat irrelevant (and I say that as a bitcoin hater). Until people take security seriously, it will keep happening.

[anotherVTskibum]

I don't think we should leave this out of a ransomware thread:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/new...-operator/amp/

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[Core Shot]

Oh no!

They hacked the meat supply.

Ducking vegans

[pureantigravity]

BREAKING | Jun 1, 2021, 03:08pm EDT Suspected Russian Cyberattack Wipes Out One-Fifth Of U.S. Beef Production Capacity: Report

"The two cyber attacks increase the pressure on President Biden to address the issue during his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Hopefully they ask for a lot of money so that the price of Bitcoin goes up!
Beyond Meat shares soar
/s

[MakersTeleMark]

Just use Monero, it really is that easy.

[ötzi]

Now they've done it. They've gone after our burgers. The bastards.

[MakersTeleMark]

Now they've done it. They've gone after our burgers. The bastards.

Impossible.

[Core Shot]

Impossible.

Well. Yeah. That’s the tinfoil point
Impossible burgers

Just eat bugs

It’s all cool

No gasoline
No beef

No cow farts

We can fix this.

Tesla to Mars!!!!!!!!

[old goat]

If cryptocurrency were banned it wouldn't go away but it would lose a lot of its appeal for hackers and other criminals--if it can't buy anything, if it can't be converted to legal currency, if it can only be traded with other criminals, the hackers would have to find another non-traceable way to take payment remotely. What would that be?

Crime isn't going away, getting rid of crypto won't get rid of crime, but given the potential enormous damage ransomware can do, if getting rid of crypto diverts criminal to less potentially dangerous endeavors it's worth it.