$12 Billion Government Contractor Booz Allen Facilitates Ransomware Payments—Even Though The FBI Says Never Pay
Recent incidents hitting health institutions, gas giant Colonial Pipeline and beef supplier JBS have all shown how disruptive such attacks, in which hackers steal data, lock up victims’ files, and demand a ransom in return for unlocking it, can be. Both Colonial and JBS ended up paying millions to the hackers.
This time around, though, Bessette is leading the cyber incident response at consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, which he joined in 2019. His new team, when their clients ask for assistance, actually help coordinate payments to ransomware groups, something he never did at the FBI.