Profile of Kurtis Minder, who for the past year has been managing fraught discussions between companies and hackers as a ransomware negotiator
Kurtis Minder finds the cat-and-mouse energy of outsmarting criminal syndicates deeply satisfying. — A few days after Thanksgiving last year … Tweets: @howelloneill , @andyboxall , @davbatz , @helloericma , @calonghurst , @denniscgarcia , @newyorker , @michaelluo , @rachmonroe , @jkoxvold , @groupsensecyber , and @jonrobrt Tweets: Patrick Howell O'Neill / @howelloneill : The New Yorker also wrote about negotiating with ransomware gangs: “It's way too easy to get into this” https://www.newyorker.com/... Andy Boxall / @andyboxall : This is a seriously long read, but it's absolutely worth your time. Frightening and fascinating all at the same time. https://www.newyorker.com/... David Batz / @davbatz : The following story is interesting, even if the headline is a bit inaccurate. The ransomware ecosystem now has 3rd party players trying to take a cut from *both* sides. https://www.newyorker.com/... Eric Ma / @helloericma : “Security warning! Your privacy and security are in danger.” Ransomware message after you're infected. Instead of paying the ransom or spending hours and hours rebuilding what you've lost, get the best cyber-security available: @deeper_network https://www.newyorker.com/... Christopher A. Longhurst / @calonghurst : “To just tell a hospital that they can't pay [a ransom] - I'm just incredulous at the notion,” @philreiner, CEO of the nonprofit @IST_org. “What do you expect them to do, just shut down and let people die?” https://www.newyorker.com/... @denniscgarcia : “Sometimes you're negotiating in two directions at once—with the hacker and with the victim. You have to... be empathetic but also give directions in a way that isn't confrontational.” How to Negotiate with #Ransomware #Hackers #Cybersecurity https://www.newyorker.com/... @newyorker : “Sometimes you're negotiating in two directions at once—with the hacker and with the victim,” a ransomware negotiator said. “You have to have a personality type where you can be empathetic but also give directions in a way that isn't confrontational.” https://nyer.cm/QFaChFj Michael Luo / @michaelluo : Ransomware customer service. “The larger groups establish call centers to help talk victims through the confusing process of obtaining cryptocurrency, and they promise discounts to those who pay up in a timely fashion.” Negotiating with Hackers https://www.newyorker.com/... Rachel Monroe / @rachmonroe : Ransomware negotiators are the uneasy go-betweens working with hacked companies and the criminal syndicates that extort them. I wrote about this weird world for @NewYorker this week: https://www.newyorker.com/... Jason Koxvold / @jkoxvold : A remarkable article. One thing I learned while constantly being shaken down for bribes in Eastern Europe and Central Asia was, if the cop asked for $100, show them your wallet, tell them that you only have $12 and change, and never go up from there. https://www.newyorker.com/... @groupsensecyber : The reason why #GroupSense has stepped into the role of #ransomware negotiator? To help people. It's that short and simple: https://ow.ly/... Big thanks to @rachmonroe and the @NewYorker! #CyberSecurity #InfoSec #DataSecurity #CISO #ThreatIntel #DarkWeb #CyberCrime Johnny Kay / @jonrobrt : “The calculus changed with the launch of Bitcoin, in 2009. Now that people could receive digital payments without revealing their identity, ransomware became more lucrative.” @rachmonroe @NewYorker https://www.newyorker.com/...