Sheila Jackson Lee: “I include in the Record the article titled: ``U.S. Military Has Acted Against Ransomware Groups, General Acknowledges.''…”

“I include in the Record the article titled: ``U.S. Military Has Acted Against Ransomware Groups, General Acknowledges.'' [From the New York Times, December 5, 2021] U.S. Military Has Acted Against Ransomware Groups, General Acknowledges (By Julian E. Barnes) Simi Valley, Calif.--The U.S. military has taken actions against ransomware groups as part of its surge against organizations launching attacks against American companies, the nation's top cyberwarrior said on Saturday, the first public acknowledgment of offensive measures against such organizations. Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency, said that nine months ago, the government saw ransomware attacks as the responsibility of law enforcement. But the attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS beef plants demonstrated that the criminal organizations behind them have been ``impacting our critical infrastructure,'' General Nakasone said. In response, the government is taking a more aggressive, better coordinated approach against this threat, abandoning its previous hands-off stance. Cyber Command, the N.S.A. and other agencies have poured resources into gathering intelligence on the ransomware groups and sharing that better understanding across the government and with international partners.…”