Ransomware persists even as high-profile attacks have slowed

By ERIC TUCKER and ALAN SUDERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the months since President Joe Biden warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin to crack down on ransomware gangs in his country, there hasn’t been a massive attack like the one last May that resulted in gasoline shortages. But the problem hasn’t evaporated, with hackers conducting a barrage of lower-profile episodes that have upended the businesses, governments, schools and hospitals that were hit. U.S. officials have recaptured some ransom payments, cracked down on abuses of cryptocurrency, and made some arrests. Yet six months after Biden’s admonitions to Putin, it’s hard to tell if hackers have eased up because of U.S. pressure.