In response to a rising hacking problem, notably a rise of ransomware assaults on US infrastructure, the US State Department intends to establish a bureau of cyberspace and digital policy.
According to state Department spokeswoman Ned Price, the agency will be led by a Senate-confirmed ambassador at large.
This year, hackers have targeted a number of US businesses. However, one attack on pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline resulted in temporary gasoline supply problems on the East Coast of the United States. Hackers allegedly attacked an Iowa-based agricultural enterprise, raising concerns about grain harvesting in the Midwest. The Treasury Department announced two weeks ago that suspected ransomware transactions totaled $590 million (A$787.6 million) in the first six months of this year. It raised the bitcoin industry’s awareness of its role in combating ransomware threats.
