Almost nine in ten Americans believe that a ransomware attack should be treated as an act of terrorism, according to a new poll.
The Mitre-Harris Poll survey, which collected responses from 2,037 US adults in October, found that 77% of people were concerned about ransomware, with 86% of people viewing infections at the same level as terrorist attacks.
How not to get hit by ransomware in 2022 Ransomware groups will target smaller businesses in 2022 - report Best ransomware removal tools
The poll also found strong objections to paying the criminals behind ransomware attacks; almost four in five people said that the law should forbid private companies from paying ransoms to hackers.
While the FBI disapproves of ransomware payments and the US Treasury has warned about potential sanction violations, there are no US laws forbidding payments yet.
RELATED RESOURCE
The secure cloud configuration imperative
The central role of cloud security posture management
The survey followed a series of increasingly high-profile ransomware attacks that affected US critical national infrastructure, including those on Colonial Pipeline, JBS Meats, and Iowa's New Cooperative farming group.
The US government is already ahead of the respondents; in June, the Department of Justice elevated ransomware attacks to a similar status as terrorism, and also created a centralized team to coordinate and share information on ransomware investigations. Senators have also proposed legislation that would target foreign nations that support ransomware actors.
The Mitre-Harris Poll survey also found broad unrest about the international race to build better technology, with 55% of respondents advocating for more technology R&D investment to stay ahead of China. 5G and telecommunications technology was a particular area of concern, with two thirds worried about the US using technology developed in China.
In October, the FCC prevented China Telecom from offering telecommunications services in the US amid security concerns.
Artificial intelligence (AI) was another worry, with three quarters of respondents expressing concern that the technology could be used maliciously. The FTC has previously warned companies to use AI responsibly, threatening interference if they fail to do so.
Mitre, which operates the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database on behalf of the US government, has proposed a Horizon Strategy Framework for science and technology innovation.
-
Hounslow Council partners with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build resilience and transition away from legacy techSpomsored One of the most diverse and fastest-growing boroughs in London has completed a massive cloud migration project. Supported by AWS, it was able to work through any challenges
-
Salesforce targets better data, simpler licensing to spur Agentforce adoptionNews The combination of Agentforce 360, Data 360, and Informatica is more context for enterprise AI than ever before
-
15-year-old revealed as key player in Scattered LAPSUS$ HuntersNews 'Rey' says he's trying to leave Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters and is prepared to cooperate with law enforcement
-
The Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters group is targeting Zendesk customers – here’s what you need to knowNews The group appears to be infecting support and help-desk personnel with remote access trojans and other forms of malware
-
Impact of Asahi cyber attack laid bare as company confirms 1.5 million customers exposedNews No ransom has been paid, said president and group CEO Atsushi Katsuki, and the company is restoring its systems
-
The US, UK, and Australia just imposed sanctions on a Russian cyber crime group – 'we are exposing their dark networks and going after those responsible'News Media Land offers 'bulletproof' hosting services used for ransomware and DDoS attacks around the world
-
A notorious ransomware group is spreading fake Microsoft Teams ads to snare victimsNews The Rhysida ransomware group is leveraging Trusted Signing from Microsoft to lend plausibility to its activities
-
Volkswagen confirms security ‘incident’ amid ransomware breach claimsNews Volkswagen has confirmed a security "incident" has occurred, but insists no IT systems have been compromised.
-
The number of ransomware groups rockets as new, smaller players emergeNews The good news is that the number of victims remains steady
-
Teens arrested over nursery chain Kido hacknews The ransom attack caused widespread shock when the hackers published children's personal data
