Gurvais Grigg, Chainalysis public sector CTO, and Kim Grauer, director of research at Chainalysis, review the ransomware landscape. Show Highlights:
- their backgrounds and roles at Chainalysis
- how a ransomware attack works
- what types of businesses are usually targeted in ransomware attacks
- why ransomware as a service (RAAS) is a booming business
- why Kim and Gurvais believe the hacking group REvil is becoming more sophisticated
- what characteristic of REvil hints that the group could be affiliated with Russia
- how the RAAS business model works
- how ransomware payments can be tracked
- why ransomware reporting has a data problem
- why Bitcoin is the preferred method of payment amongst ransomware attackers
- what two factors makes BTC preferable to privacy coins
- how ransomware groups teach victims to transfer BTC
- how ransomware groups cash out of their BTC
- how counter-terrorism tactics can help fight ransomware attacks
- how the Department of Justice may have partially recovered part of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware payment
- what tools and strategies governments can and will use to battle ransomware
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Episode Links
People
Kim Grauer – Director of Research at Chainalysis
Gurvais Grigg – Global Public Sector Chief Technology Officer at Chainalysis
Chainalsysis Ransomware Data
Ransomware Attacks
- Kaseya
- Colonial Pipeline
- JBS Holdings
Other
Source: https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-ransomware-evolved-into-a-big-business/