space begins at 100 kilometers, but that hardly seem to matter as the passengers and crew enjoyed the incredible views of the earth below. with the darkness of space above. they also experienced several minutes of micro gravity allowing them to float, nearly weightless lea. you can now the 70 year old british entrepreneur won the billionaire space race beating amazons, jeff bezos and space ex founder you on must to the haven't you base those plans to lift off in his blue origin space companies rocket on july, 20th mosques, plans for space travel haven't been announced. after maneuvering for re entry, unity glided to a flawless landing at the virgin galactic spaceport in a remote section of the new mexico desert. as onlookers cheered, the entire flight lasted about an hour back on earth. branson held a news conference. honestly, nothing could prepare you for the view from space. and if the whole

thing is magical, then it was time to celebrate. frances plan is to make space tourism possible earthlings. while only today's successful flight there will be several more tests the branson spacecraft. the goal is to send tourists into space beginning next year . the price tag $250000.00 each. rob reynolds al jazeera in sierra county, new mexico. ah, you'll see on there with lisa hill, rahman, and doha. reminder of our top stories. the highly contagious delta variant is being blamed for rapid rising current virus infections, in se asia thailand has gone into lockdown for 2 weeks. while south korea has imposed tougher restrictions to any change is monitoring developments from bangkok

. the government has asked that only people who work at unnecessary industries, like food production or medical services come into the office as everybody else should be working from home. people don't seem to be following that to strictly they were being asked. this isn't a rule which is going to be enforced, although there are potentially jail sentences for those people who the government feels are infringing the rules. nonetheless, they don't appear to be any reports of that as yet. keep it as seen as biggest anti government protests in decades as anger over government. mismanagement of the pandemic. and the u. k prime minister boris johnson has condemned the online racist abuse of england, blank place. the metropolitan police has opened an investigation. that's what a headlines loan is and half now with me. but next is my jump june, with inside story to stay with us. i live in an unconventional capital

city ever changing and yet forever defined bytes turbulent past. stephanie deck meets berliners and takes you want a journey. exploring the identity and legacy of europe's rebel capital took out his era. ah, the u. s. gives russia an ultimatum. stop ransomware attack hackers extort millions of dollars by targeting businesses and infrastructure. so what's needed to stop the cyber criminals and contain the threat to global security? this is inside story. ah . hello and welcome to the program. i'm a hammer, jim john ransomware attacks are becoming a global security threat. hacker is break into computer systems, lock up files,

and hold them for ransom. as the name suggests, many cyber criminal networks are believe to be in russia with most of their victims in the u. s. a recent attack on an american i t for crippled, nearly $1500.00 businesses around the world. this prompted us president joe biden to demand action from the kremlin. he told latimer potent to stop the hackers. if not the us may retaliate by attacking ransomware servers. when the pair met in geneva last month bite, and a put in a list of 16 critical infrastructure sectors that he said were off limits to cyber attacks. us politicians have been urging biden to do more well. spec, when we're already coming from historically, it's not. not sponsored by mistake,

expect them to actually give them enough information back. and secondly, that we've set up the case, you found a regular basis to be able to communicate to one another when you think something happened in other countries in the hall. and so it went, well, you said, well, there are, yes. ransomware gangs have launched a series of high profile attacks in recent months. an assault on colonial pipeline in the u. s. disrupted almost half of the east coast fuel supply in may. the world's largest meet supplier j b s, had to pay $11000000.00 to resume its american operations last month. and last week, around 500 co op supermarkets were forced to shut in sweden. they were effected by an attack on one of the chains software suppliers in florida. ransomware attacks were estimated to have costs american victims around 1400000000 dollars last year.

the. all right, let's bring in our guess in birmingham, michigan, richard steen and chief research analyst at i t harvest. richard is also author of the books there will be cyber war and cyber defense countering targeted attacks. in toronto, albania, policemen were at the founder and ceo of pen g, a wire group, a geopolitical consultancy, and geneva defined to get chief executive officer of cyber peace institute. the font has lead projects to counter cyber crime and online terrorism. a warm welcome to you all. thanks for joining us today on inside story. richard, let me start with you today. i just like to take a step back for a moment and ask you to explain to our viewers what exactly constitutes a ransomware attack and how it works. yeah, it's pretty straightforward. a attacker find some vulnerability inside

a network ground, somebody's computer infects it, and downloads tool, the ransomware software itself that encrypts the complete hard drive making without a key that you know about. so it makes it impossible to get access to your data if it's spread throughout a large network, like calling your pipeline can shut down all of the office systems of an organization. and then the attacker demands ransom usually right on the screen of the infected computer. and they say pay us x amount in fairly untraceable crypto currencies and we'll give you the key to decrypt your hard drive. and it's as simple as that, but it's devastating policeman. until recently, the u. s. was treating ransomware as more of a criminal problem or a criminal act. it seems that the thinking on that really changed, especially after this colonial pipeline attack. and also this attack that happened over the 4th of july weekend. is it now the case that the u. s. is treating

ransomware and ransomware attacks is more of a national security threat. it seems to mohammed, but i think the main point to stay here is that shouldn't, it shouldn't take a seismic cyber type. so the u. s. government to reassess the priority when it comes to cyber. the us government has no for a long time. the people are always growing in cheaper and more accessible to anyone who wants to learn how to use it. and they can cause devastating repercussions for the actions that they take. so this is, i think it's a little bit too late, but hopefully not too little in terms of their reaction to the cyber types. stuff on how difficult is it to deter ransomware attacks? it leads to the complexity of the change because of the read. some was a very simple type of attack, the normal actors. but i'll be quite numerous. we saw in the very same time that

the ransomware business model, he showed me to this evil from a one criminal group during the whole criminal chain to the he sliced against in between criminal groups. you know, that's what i want to pull targets in a very recent case. it's wrong with specifically specialized into finding one of the team system to make the intrusion and using another criminal group affiliation program in order to deploy the run some way. so the question of the parents, it's about the responsibility of states to reduce the space between all the benefits today in order to leaving the broad infinity in cyberspace because it's human mis here. i mean, you know, there's not these guy know who the, that he's hiding behind a computer. cyber crime as a whole and cybersecurity responsibility of states and state will be modern for

maneuver to make this a successful difference company. richard, president biden has warned president, and yet again, demanding that russia do more to crack down on, you know, cyber warfare and ransomware attacks. we've been down this road before, but if the u. s. now decides to actually retaliate against russia, what exactly can it do? what does a retaliation look like? how does it play out and can russia then just escalate all of this and can it get worse? yes, to that last question. and that's the trouble with retaliation. but obviously, president biden has a diplomatic options. he even has military options as it's been over 10 years that the military has been kind of granted the ability to respond with

kinetic attack against cyber attack, which they probably would. ready in certain limited cases, in this case, sounds like president biden is threatening of cyber attack that would be in kind and proportional the us government has tremendous cyber capabilities. and one of the dangers of using those say, per cape of cyber capabilities is they might be using some 0 de vulnerabilities that they've researched or developed themselves. and as soon as they use them, the victim has copies of it and can reverse engineer it and turn it around and use it as a weapon against their own victims. so it's very dangerous to use some of those technologies which i think explain some of the reticence of the tellers community in the military and using these cyber weapons. so. ready it might take longer

to create a cyber weapon that reuses ruskin, capabilities. so they're not giving away anything new. and they turn around and use those things to conduct some sort of disruptive attack. policemen, what are some of the ways that countries around the world can engage in cyber warfare these days? think it's very easy to paint it all with one brush as rich that in the past definition of different varieties. but also companies have abilities to protect themselves against cyber attacks and also individuals themselves are always developing new ways in which in which to use cyber in their arsenal of attack. so when it comes time to understanding the cyber landscape is what is easiest thing. cyber attacks as one title, there's so many different ways in which cyber can be used to be, we're unaware, spyware, etc. and to really, to get this done, i think it takes someone who do is defending their architecture through to understand it more so than the attacker who can just find one weakness in the defenses of their target to really close. not damage so far when we're talking

about ransomware, we're not talking just about cyber criminals. we're also talking about an industrialized business these days, right? i mean, how sophisticated are these groups and how sophisticated are there operations? so the recent history of the runs showed the continuous innovation in the criminal model and war from the experts encryption system. you know that we're old, the victim that we came to random and then it was not enough. so long side you take, there was interested in the system just before blocking everything, stealing all the data. so that was not being there wasn't the 2nd level of the black mail. if you don't be, we are going to make sure that your data would be like next on the internet. and we seen a nother very dark innovation, which is the data that the stolen. they are used,

targeted black males to each and every victim. that in fact, of their own data as part of the system that was targeted, we set up so i don't know who in finance, where patients are gaining. so there they are stolen by criminal, each one of them was compelled by the criminal not to say how you bade. i'm going to put your life your conversation, we psychologist out there on the internet. so it's quite a complicated business model to your point before any state policy, any state foreign policy should start and end looking at the human cost of a duck. so any dream that escalation, that issue is going to have the parents is just the dream. because at the end of the day, escalation would only lead to sophistication of attack and will continue to of the want to that even more. you and i, every one that is using the richardson i was just talking about the business model

of these ransomware criminals. as i understand it, they usually demand payment in crypto currency. and so i want to ask you, if that makes this all much harder to trace. yeah, completely and that's very affect the, you know, the cause of the surgeon ransomware attacks was the availability of almost random way of getting paid. so in the past, ransoms were demanded with. ready wire transfers in western union, things like that. they're ultimately, you know, we're because of money laundering. we're very traceable. and in 2009, we saw the 1st ransomware using bitcoin. and now there are different versions of a couple of currencies that are even less traceable when big coin it. so it's definitely the driver of all of us. policemen, if we're now at a moment where we are seeing countries start to shift their attitudes and treat

cyber criminals more as threats to national security or even potentially terrorists . what legal avenues are available to these countries? how can they go after them going forward? that's a very good question and then i think what was missing so far from the station with the legal aspect, because any action that a nation state takes, they need to consider the legal ramifications and russia, i think, has for me some of the best legal scholars because they're able to cause a lot of damage and do a lot of things which is in degrees on of, of the law. so for a nation which is being attacked, they're able to use the same methods that have been used on them to bring that guilty nation back in line with international law. but the issue is, is actually finding what the, what law they broke in order for them to retaliate our way. because we can't find a legal basis for the retaliation. the best they can use our torsion techniques,

for example, sanctions or expending drugs, which is what the us and europe have been doing towards russian, russian attackers for a long time. so it's the legal basis. what laws are they broken specifically? and when that, that comes their legal, a bill, if you through then respond to that the attack, what becomes even more difficult is building coalition to say yes, this is what i, what this is, what has happened. and this is what we're going to do and respond back to you. this is very difficult to bring a consensus together and talk in manual which was created and i think in 2007, 8. and it was updated recently explains the legal basis for cyber attacks, outer space attacks and, and other legal agree zones which nation states and companies are facing in the modern world. so let me ask you the same question. what are the legal avenues available to countries around the world to deal with this? and also, are we going to start seeing more of a global and coordinated effort to counter the threat posed by ransomware?

i think it was for her the question the there's not forget that the cyber just mean to an end. so if you're there just cyberg of abilities is happening in the context of the conflicts economic conflict between states. then the roles that are very well known and doors, but international community applies international military law, charter trusts, international law, and so on. there's also some specific convention in the context of cyber crime that exists. some states i need some did not put up its convention and you have the body of unknowns because even recently again, the united nation that you all going to be working group, which is also explaining quite clearly dictation in terms of behavior that should be predictable and very transparent, but so a lot of the problems that wife attacks. oh

exploding i would say the speed of, of lights in the community can even react, know a dispute overload. so even in the body over there is put in place. what, what is that to be done is more a acceptance by states that they are comfortable that they come to be in for the bridge that did take the loaded the b to there should be going to be today. the problem is that when doesn't a duck, there's not this body of knowledge that would be available for the victim. because again, we think that the business teacher that gotten actor is the victim. that what that person to understand. ok have been at that. and you can refer to in order to get 3 pair altogether, just this is that one. and this is information that can use in other to seek redress. and this is absolutely amazing. richard, you know, this attack that occurred over july, 4th weekend, the targeted this american ip from i believe the company was based in florida. you know, this crippled nearly 1500 businesses around the world that is staggering to think

about. i'm curious to get your thoughts on how much americas cyber defense is, whether it, whether it comes to, you know, private enterprises or whether it comes to government institutions actually need to be beef up beefed up right now and how vulnerable as the country from cyber attack it feels like i've been beating this job for at least 20 years, and most people in the security industry feel the same way. it's we keep telling you what to do and you don't do it. and i think it's just because that, you know, of business managing somebody else's id is just not aware of, of all the dangers to them. and can say in, in the united states have a piece of software that was completely vulnerable in several researchers had pointed that out over the years, including a group in the netherlands. and those on abilities were used in a very targeted and campaign that occurred. of course, friday of

a 3 day holiday in the united states. so people won't be able to react quickly enough to it. so i think that's the, yes, everyone's vulnerable, of course, is not the united states of brown's as united states is the most, you know, connected to the internet and realize the most news driving the most benefit from technology. right. in the end, there's millions of companies sort of moved to using the internet and the web and interacting with customers, especially pose coded working with their employees remotely. so the vulnerability and exposure just increases constantly and grows as fast as everybody's economies have been growing since the late 1900 ninety's. so we're just wide open and it's something we have to learn to live with. chrisman is the cybersecurity industry stretched far too thin right now, and if so, what are the implications of that? sure. i think the thing to keep in mind is that not every company has the same

capabilities, financially know, so in terms of their knowledge base to deal with the cyber attacks. you know, small, medium sized enterprises, especially a covert, are barely getting by as it is. so add onto that cyber costs in cyber regulation and cyber per preparedness, which is not going to not develop as an industry unto itself, which is it is currently developing probably to the size of a money laundering legislation and, and checks if you see cyber becoming an industry to itself, which is cost for businesses are going to rise, which means that bottom lines are going to be squeezed, which means they're going to be under a lot more pressure and stress, especially now during cold we, we don't know when this is going to end so it's costs are a big thing, it's also their knowledge is also another big thing and also bigger firms. and now think about how to defend against them, which is going to cost the money. but the good thing that's coming out of this is that the governments are waking up more and more so slowly or b as we can a more more so to helping the private sector and combat cyber types. although if

you are satisfied with criminals, they say that nothing will deter them, they'll just continue being more innovative. and, you know, finding whole the systems as time passes, it's natural or the technology like this it's, it's continuous and exponential in its development. so it's going to be continue about, and this is only the beginning, the fun i want to get back to the issue of crypto currency for just a moment from your vantage point. how much has the availability of crypto currency contributed to the rise of ransomware attacks? so it's the one of the many accelerating like but not the only one. that if i did, of course you cannot escape the follow the money trail. he's helping a lot criminal scheme, but just not on the run. some way i would say it's, it's an impact on the why the organized crime ecosystem. but never forget that kind of innovation. again, it's one of the money i've been call these 3 of crime for, for decades. before i read somewhere, before people currencies, there was

a lot of fantasies that the criminals were moving the money across bank account in the world when we're using cash and very innovative way to use cash or around the world to make sure they would profit from the crime, so we should be careful about this, the present a way to investigate properly. ransomware would be to have clear capability to get all the money on ring ring for the criminal christian richard. i saw you nodding along to some of what's the phone was saying there, did you want to jump in and add to the point he was making? yeah, i follow the solution. so security solutions and now i'm seeing several organizations that are trying to track ranch where wallets, actual long identifiers associated with, with each crypto currency and their co lading widths. anybody who is attacked by ransomware shares say this wallet is the one that, that they want me to pay into. and by that they're kind of doing a broad,

broad based analysis of where all the money is flowing. because eventually, you know, each crypto wallet that's used is emptied and put into a bigger one, and that's probably the one that belongs to the cyber criminals. so there's technology coming to bear to hope to locate and identify the people who are controlling berg, ransomware attacks, stuff on it, look like you want to jump in as well. did. did you, did you have a reaction? yes, very good point is just me know and make me think about your question before what can state do in terms of exclamation resources, investments in law enforcement in independent justice. you know, to be sure that when criminals innovating and at the same level of innovation when it comes to them just, it's not something that is coming from the author. point of view of how to make instigation. but i mean, the right resources for the entities, don't portsmouth,

and just out there to protect the policeman from your vantage point. what are the concrete steps that need to be taken to stop cyber criminals and to contain this threat to global cybersecurity? i think containing a threat like this is an illusion because we've opened, we've all competitors box when it comes time to these kinds of technologies and the more nation for money behind it, the more cyber criminals are going to have knowledge of how to say how to overcome these kinds of attacks. i don't think we've seen something of this magnitude globally ever before in our human existence. where with very simple means one after and was a lot of damage, non physical damage to, to an industry, to, to, to security, to energy, energy assets accept. so this isn't something that can become contained as such. i think this is something that can be monitored and protected against incrementally as time passed, but a sort of

a silver bullet 30 nip it in the bud isn't going to be available anytime soon because technology will continue to hold. actors are going to continue to grow, it's going to become cheaper, and it's going to be more of a headache for government and also for corporations as time passes. all right, we have run out of time. we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thanks. so much all of our guests, richard steen and policemen were at the and it's defined to got and thank you to for watching. you can see this and all of our previous programs. again, anytime by visiting our website, i'll just here dot com. and for further discussion, go to our facebook page at facebook dot com forward slash ha, inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter. our handle is at a g inside story for me. mm hm. a jim, jim and the whole team here. bye for now. the news the

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