Ex-FBI lead urges homicide charges against ransomware scum

Former FBI cyber division deputy assistant director Cynthia Kaiser testified before a US House subcommittee urging the Justice Department to pursue felony homicide charges against ransomware actors when hospital attacks lead to patient deaths. She cited a University of Minnesota study documenting at least 47 deaths from hospital ransomware attacks between 2016 and 2021, and called for terrorism designations for repeat healthcare attackers. Lawmakers also raised alarm over CISA budget cuts and the shutdown of CISA's Pre-Ransomware Notification program, which had prevented an estimated $9 billion in damages under a single employee who resigned after being pushed out. Critics argue the administration's workforce and funding cuts are undermining US cyber defenses at a critical time.