New wave of ransomware from Russian-led hackers

A law enforcement official listens as US and UK Law enforcement officials announce warrants for the arrests of Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets and Igor Olegovich Turashev, two Russian hackers associated with a group called Evil Corp, at the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC on Dec 5, 2019. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Russia-based hackers are stepping up ransomware attacks against major US firms seeking to cripple computer networks if their demands for millions of dollars are not met, security researchers are warning.

The cybersecurity firm Symantec on June 25 said it had identified at least 31 targets in the United States, including eight Fortune 500 companies.