U.S. Ambassador to Romania, Adrian Zuckerman has warned that criminal groups are launching cyber-attacks targeting institutions and hospitals trying to find a cure for the coronavirus.
Speaking at a webinar with Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu on Tuesday, the ambassador said the U.S. was “united with Romania in defeating these cyber-attacks and prosecuting the perpetrators to the fullest extent possible.”
“During this pandemic, criminals have used ransomware to prey upon people and organizations, including the very hospitals treating our citizens and research facilities racing to find a cure for the Covid-19 virus,” the ambassador said at the DCCO ( Directorate for Combating Organized Crime) Ransomware Virtual Conference
“Ransomware is an insidious type of cybercrime, a crime where criminals attack computer systems, encrypting and destroying files unless the victim pays a ransom, he explained.
He said the cybercrime unit of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime which attended the webinar was on “on the front lines battling this assault.”
Predoiu told prosecutors “the primordial factor is ‘follow the money’ in investigations. Use all available means to pursue and recover losses from our national jurisdiction and not only.”
Zuckerman said the U.S. and Romania were “committed to working together to undo the damage inflicted on the rule of law in Romania. We are working together to combat organized crime; human trafficking; and cybercrime, intellectual property theft, and corruption.”
“The Romanian people will not forgive or forget the cowardice and complicity of those who seek to weaken justice and the rule of law,” he said.
