US takes new aim at ransomware after costly year for attacks

An American flag flies outside the Department of Justice in Washington. The Justice Department has assembled a task force to confront ransomware after what officials say was the most costly year on record for the crippling cyberattacks. — AP

WASHINGTON: The US Justice Department is taking new aim at ransomware after a year that officials say was the costliest on record for the crippling cyberattacks.

Formation of a task force of FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors is an acknowledgment of the growing threat posed by ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock up computer data and demand ransom payments in order to give it back. The force is part of a broader government effort to combat cyberattacks that target vital infrastructure, including a 100-day Biden administration initiative announced Tuesday to bolster the digital security of the nation's electricity supply.