A White House spokesperson released a statement on Tuesday that said expanding cryptocurrency analysis to trace transactions tried with ransomware is part of a broader focus on such attacks. The Biden administration says the latest expansion is part of a strategic review on ransomware.

White House Spokesperson Shared Details Regarding Expansion of Cryptocurrency Analysis

In accordance with a press gaggle transcript from June 1, Karine Jean-Pierre, the Principal Deputy Press Secretary spoke to the reporters about the newly disclosed ransomware attack. The attack was on meat supplier JBS, which the officials of the United States have reportedly tied to a criminal organization that is based in Russia.

Jean-Pierre revealed during the gaggle that the White House has offered assistance to JBS and the officials of the United States are examining the situation. 

In addition to this, Karine said:

“The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. The FBI is investigating the incident and CISA is coordinating with the FBI to offer technical support to the company in recovering from the ransomware attack.”

US Government Contracts with Industry Firms

The elements of the government of the United States already contract with firms like Chainalysis on dealing tracing technology. 

However, it is yet to be seen whether the focus of the Biden White House on ransomware will witness these capabilities stretched by law enforcement agencies.

The inspector general of the Department of Justice urged the FBI in the month of December to complete its work on a crypto support plan.

Jean-Pierre went on to say:

“We call on organizations across government and the private sector to take the threat of ransomware seriously and modernize their cyber defenses, including implementing the practices in the executive order.”