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Explained: How cryptocurrency turbocharged the cybercrime racket

Cryptocurrency and the exchanges where digital currency can be traded anony­mously have emerged as key tools for the cyber extortionists

cryptoccurency, cybercrimes, cyber, frauds, extortion, digital, online, hacking
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Ransomware attacks took off in 2020, when victims paid more than $406 mill­ion in crypto­curr­ency to attackers, accord­ing to blockchain analysis firm Chainanalysis Inc

Jamie Tarabay | Bloomberg
Cyberattacks using ransomware are incre­asing in frequency, and ransom payments made to the hackers are swelling as well. Cryptocurrency and the exchanges where digital currency can be traded anony­mously have emerged as key tools for the cyber extortionists. The vast sums being paid by corporations to regain control of their computers would have been near-impossible to move in any other legitimate currency market, experts say.

How is crypto used in cybercrime?

A typical ransomware attack on a company or organisation might proceed like this: Executives realise their business website is down or systems inaccessible, and administrator overrides don’t work. A ransom demand