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Senators: Has Uncle Sam Paid Off Ransomware Criminals? (securityledger.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the pay-the-shady-man dept.

chicksdaddy writes: Just a month after an FBI official admitted that his agency sometimes advised companies stricken with ransomware to pay the ransom, two U.S. Senators are requesting information about federal agencies' encounters with ransomware malware, and whether Uncle Sam might have paid ransoms, also. "Have federal state or local governments sought DOJ or FBI’s help to remove ransomware from their computers," the Senators asked in a letter (PDF download) addressed to Attorney General Loretta Lynch. "If so, please describe the nature of any assistance sought, whether agencies have paid ransoms to remove ransomware, and whether DOJ or the FBI was able to decrypt the computer systems."

7 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Is ransomware tax-deductible? by mveloso · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Can you write off ransom costs on your taxes?

    Do you get a receipt when you pay off your ransomware?

    1. Re:Is ransomware tax-deductible? by Misch · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes. An individual can deduct the amount minus ($100 + 10% of AGI) Source: NY Times, Extortion counts as theft. IRS

      Businesses get treated more favorably, they can deduct actual losses.

      --

      --You will rephrase your request for me to go to hell. Goto statements are not acceptable programming constructs
    2. Re:Is ransomware tax-deductible? by msauve · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Extortion counts as theft."

      So I can deduct tax payments from my taxes? Woo-hoo!

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  2. Winning quote of the day. by khasim · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The success of the ransomware ends up benefitting victims: because so many people pay, the malware authors are less inclined to wring excess profit out of any single victim, keeping ransoms low.

    Gotta love the "logic" that went into that statement.

    Remember kids, paying the ransom is a lot cheaper than investing in security ... as long as everyone else is also paying the Danegeld.

  3. Re:Officially or unofficially? by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Funny

    Consulting services.

  4. Re: New York State has paid the criminals. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    No he ordered an assknob from Amazon. Followed the directions, inserted assknob and began pleasuring himself for the "wrong team".

  5. More proof of my hypothesis about the NSA by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    We already know that local governments, including police and sheriff offices, have been nailed by ransomware and have paid up to get their data back. If this conjecture about the feds proves out, it would reinforce my hypothesis that NSA surveillance is a paper tiger. If NSA data collection was as effective as we fear it is, they would be able to trace the Bitcoin payments and have agents sent out to strangle the perps with their own intestines, no matter where they might be located.

    Whatever we think of the NSA's domestic operations, everyone in here would love to see that happen at least once.