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Ransomware on the rise in the US

How vulnerable are America's networks and what can be done to make them more secure?

A cyber-attack on an oil pipeline in the United States has caused widespread disruption and alarm. The Colonial Pipeline stretches thousands of kilometres from Texas to New Jersey and was shut down as a result of the attack, causing fuel shortages and price spikes on America's East Coast. This is the latest in a long list of recent ransomware attacks on US institutions and infrastructure, where groups have shut down crucial information networks or threatened to reveal trade secrets unless a fee was paid.

President Biden has blamed a group based in Russia for the Colonial Pipeline attack; and while he did not hold Moscow directly responsible, he has blamed it and other nations for conducting cyber-espionage against America on a regular basis. Despite the advanced technological abilities of many US companies, and the investment of millions in digital security, hackers are continuing to find ways to break into government and commercial networks. So who are the hackers and how are their methods evolving? And how can the Biden administration ensure global cooperation in the fight against cyber-crime? Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of experts.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 15 May 2021 03:06GMT

Contributors

Michael Daniel - President and CEO of The Cyber Threat Alliance, formerly Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator in the White House during the Obama administration

Kiersten Todt - Managing Director of the Cyber Readiness Institute and formerly Executive Director of the independent and bipartisan Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity

James Lewis - A senior vice president and director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC

Also featuring …

Rep. Elissa Slotkin - Democratic Congresswoman and a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, formerly an analyst for the CIA

John Haag - Director of IT for LaSalle County, Illinois

Picture

A sign reads "No Fuel" on a petrol pump after ransomware cyber-attack causes Colonial Pipeline to shut down, resulting in shortages in Washington DC. Credit: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Broadcasts

  • Fri 14 May 2021 09:06GMT
  • Fri 14 May 2021 23:06GMT
  • Sat 15 May 2021 03:06GMT

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