8 ms·

Basic game theory dictates that the cost of ransoms will continue to rise until it hits the price point at which the targeted company would have to replace its

Basic game theory dictates that the cost of ransoms will continue to rise until it hits the price point at which the targeted company would have to replace its compromised systems from scratch. 5M, 50M, 500M, 5B, 50B? I wonder how the government would react if a hacker group held gas/power/clean water/etc. hostage for millions of Americans for a ransom in the tens of billions

notyourday 5y ago
> I wonder how the government would react if a hacker group held gas/power/clean water/etc. hostage for millions of Americans for a ransom in the tens of billions War.
- michaelmrose 5y ago
  Too grandiose a word for a targeted assassination of a handful of folks.
  - justsid 5y ago
    Not if the hacker group is a nation state. Sure, small time hacking is cute and all, but the US isn’t going to just roll over and be all like “oh no, you hit critical infrastructure that had a big impact on peoples life. Carry on”
    - publicola1990 5y ago
      Even this time too government was aware that Colonial paid the Ransom. The question was asked in the Whitehouse press breifing, it was told that this is essentially a private sector matter, Government will not advice Colonial in this regard. Also they said it was Colonial's prerogative to decide and act. Transcript of Whitehouse Press Briefing: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/05/10/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-homeland-security-advisor-and-deputy-national-security-advisor-dr-elizabeth-sherwood-randall-and-deputy-national-security-advisor-for-cyber-and-emerging/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/202...
      - notyourday 5y ago
        That's because nothing of consequence happened at this time. Had the actions resulted in deaths of a few hundred or a few thousand Americans the response would most likely be very different.
- Dolores12 5y ago
  Wouldn't it cause more ransoms and more damage to millions of Americans?
- eigen 5y ago
  continuing the unfortunate trend of the public spending to protect private profit.
jacobsenscott 5y ago
The government seems to have no problem with utilities doing this or worse to their own customers (PG&E, Texas power grid, Flint Michigan). But I guess if they could blame a foreign power that's an opportunity for a profitable war.
- dragonwriter 5y ago
  > The government seems to have no problem with utilities doing this or worse to their own customers (PG&E, Texas power grid, Flint Michigan). The “utility" acting in Flint was state and state-imposed local government officials, 9 of whom have been criminally indicted for their role, so manifestly the government has something of a problem with it.

notyourday 5y ago

> I wonder how the government would react if a hacker group held gas/power/clean water/etc. hostage for millions of Americans for a ransom in the tens of billions War.

michaelmrose 5y ago
Too grandiose a word for a targeted assassination of a handful of folks.
- justsid 5y ago
  Not if the hacker group is a nation state. Sure, small time hacking is cute and all, but the US isn’t going to just roll over and be all like “oh no, you hit critical infrastructure that had a big impact on peoples life. Carry on”
  - publicola1990 5y ago
    Even this time too government was aware that Colonial paid the Ransom. The question was asked in the Whitehouse press breifing, it was told that this is essentially a private sector matter, Government will not advice Colonial in this regard. Also they said it was Colonial's prerogative to decide and act. Transcript of Whitehouse Press Briefing: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/05/10/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-homeland-security-advisor-and-deputy-national-security-advisor-dr-elizabeth-sherwood-randall-and-deputy-national-security-advisor-for-cyber-and-emerging/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/202...
    - notyourday 5y ago
      That's because nothing of consequence happened at this time. Had the actions resulted in deaths of a few hundred or a few thousand Americans the response would most likely be very different.
Dolores12 5y ago
Wouldn't it cause more ransoms and more damage to millions of Americans?
eigen 5y ago
continuing the unfortunate trend of the public spending to protect private profit.

jacobsenscott 5y ago

The government seems to have no problem with utilities doing this or worse to their own customers (PG&E, Texas power grid, Flint Michigan). But I guess if they could blame a foreign power that's an opportunity for a profitable war.

dragonwriter 5y ago
> The government seems to have no problem with utilities doing this or worse to their own customers (PG&E, Texas power grid, Flint Michigan). The “utility" acting in Flint was state and state-imposed local government officials, 9 of whom have been criminally indicted for their role, so manifestly the government has something of a problem with it.