Why Can't the CIA Eradicate Ransomware?

WikiLeaks is rolling out Vault 7, a cache of documents that outline CIA hacking operations. Oddly, people are shocked. Why? Nosotros've been told for years that phone microphones and webcams tin can be turned on and off at will or that you tin can be tracked by your phone. Why is this a major revelation in 2022?

Opinions Here is what I am surprised about. The CIA, FBI, NSA, and a host of intelligence agencies receive untold billions of dollars, and so they should exist at the summit of the hacking foodchain. But they can't seem to practise annihilation about ransomware scammers. It's fourth dimension to put some of the resources spent hacking enemy nations into finding those behind botnets, spambots, and especially ransomware.

The thought behind ransomware is uncomplicated. Some sort of malware infects your automobile, encrypting all or function of your files and disks, rendering them useless—unless you pay a ransom to get a central to unlock your ain organisation. The "fee" hovers around $500, typically paid in bitcoin. Recent targets include hospitals, municipalities, and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus of Pennsylvania, all of which were hit with exorbitant fees for the unlock code.

Sure, law enforcement has caught a few ransomware criminals but not enough of them; it'due south a plague costing users millions of dollars.

The Vault 7 revelations, yet, make me question how there tin be whatsoever criminal activity at all in this country with Large Blood brother watching our every move. And why are our governments and municipalities spending billions to develop an outrageous surveillance state anyway? Blackmail? It doesn't seem to forbid law-breaking. I'd be very interested in the answer.

If legislators were honest they might say, "We accept all this money and we take to spend it on something fun. This is fun." For hackers working for the agencies, it does look similar a lot of them are having fun developing tools. That would not be a surprise either. Non to worry, those questions volition never exist asked.

Here's to the next cache of Vault vii docs. Hopefully, they are more entertaining.

About John C. Dvorak

John C. Dvorak

John C. Dvorak is a columnist for PCMag.com and the co-host of the twice weekly podcast, the No Calendar Show. His work is licensed around the world. Previously a columnist for Forbes, PC/Calculating, Computer Shopper, MacUser, Barrons, the DEC Professional as well equally other newspapers and magazines. Sometime editor and consulting editor for InfoWorld, he also appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, SF Examiner, and the Vancouver Sun. He was on the showtime-upward team for C/Net likewise every bit ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV) he hosted Silicon Spin for four years doing 1000 live and live-to-record TV shows. His Net bear witness Cranky Geeks was considered a …