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The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ)—along with other federal partners—have launched a new website as part of the US government’s fight against ransomware: StopRansomware.gov.
StopRansomware.gov is said to be a one-stop hub for ransomware resources for everyone, may they be individuals, SMBs, enterprises, or others.
“As ransomware attacks continue to rise around the world, businesses and other organizations must prioritize their cybersecurity,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in the official press release on the DHS website. “Cybercriminals have targeted critical infrastructure, small businesses, hospitals, police departments, schools, and more. These attacks directly impact Americans’ daily lives and the security of our Nation. I urge every organization across our country to use this new resource to learn how to protect themselves from ransomware and reduce their cybersecurity risk.”
This website release and announcement came three months after the Ransomware Task Force (RTF), a group of 60 volunteer experts across industries and governments, released a comprehensive, strategic plan to address the growing threat of ransomware.
Both the report and the new website are part of an escalation in the fight against ransomware in 2021. This year has seen devastating attacks against Colonial Pipeline, Ireland’s Health Service Executive, and Kaseya VSA, to name a few. In response, the Biden administration has issued new rules for critical infrastructure, promised to hold President Putin of Russia to account for the country’s apparent harboring of ransomware gangs, and offered rewards of up to $10 million for information about state-sponsored attacks on critical infrastructure.
StopRansomware.gov is the culmination of ransomware tools and resources from all US federal government agencies. When before, organizations would have to visit multiple sites to seek advice, threat updates, or alerts with regards to all ransomware matters, they can just visit this .gov website. Some of the resources included in StopRansomware.gov are content from Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the US Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
