MANSFIELD, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Prosperous businesses help benefit communities and the individuals who live and work within them. However, these businesses are also prime targets for cybercriminals, according to a federal cybercrime prosecutor who spoke at The Ohio State University at Mansfield in November.
“Prosperous businesses benefit the community and also put you at risk,” said Dan Riedl, chief of the National Security Unit (NSA) in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The unit prosecutes those who threaten the country, engage in terrorism, or commit cybercrimes.
“What most cybercriminals are after is your money, and what we are doing in law enforcement is trying to confront and overcome cyberthreats,” Riedl continued.
Riedl specializes in cases involving ransomware, malware, terrorism, and theft of intellectual property. He is the lead attorney on several complex cyber matters, including the Trickbot malware case, which resulted in the conviction of two Trickbot programmers and sanctions against 11 Trickbot actors in the United States and United Kingdom.
He was the second of three professionals to speak during the “Cybersecurity: Thinking Globally, Working Locally” series, sponsored by Ohio State Mansfield and the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
Technology Disruptions
A Mansfield native, Riedl spoke about the changes in society and technology from his childhood to the present. He emphasized the importance of “technology disruptions,” which have been a part of American society since its inception.
Earlier disruptions included the invention of the railroad, telegraph, automobile, telephone, and cellphone. Recently, society has seen the rapid evolution of cyber tools, such as cryptocurrency, the dark web, and new apps for texting, messaging, and dating, along with increased reliance on password security and encryption.
As technology changes, law enforcement must continue to adapt and improve its methods of investigating criminals, Riedl noted.
“Before these tools came about, criminals had very limited ways of communicating. Now, they have access to each of these apps and more,” he said.
International Issues
One of the greatest challenges for federal prosecutors like Riedl is that cybercriminals often reside in countries that do not extradite indicted persons to the U.S.
“We can find out who they are and where they live, but as long as they live in a country that is unwilling to extradite, we are limited in how we can prosecute,” he said.
However, this does not mean foreign cybercriminals are off the hook. Riedl recounted an occasion when a cybercriminal was arrested during a layover in the U.S. Similarly, cybercriminals who travel outside of non-extraditing countries can find themselves sent to the U.S. for prosecution.
The federal government can also disrupt criminal IP addresses and restrict the financial activities of cybercriminals, Riedl explained.
Riedl said businesses and the federal government have long held a “defensive posture” toward cybercrime, which needs to shift to an “offensive posture.”
“The way we have approached cybercrime, especially over the last 10-20 years, is from a defensive posture, and in the United States especially, we’ve been relying on U.S. corporations to defend themselves against cyberattacks,” he said. “We need to not only build bigger and better walls but also go on the offensive and try to disrupt these criminals.”
What’s Next
Helen Patton, cybersecurity advisor at Cisco, will conclude the series on Dec. 4 with the presentation “The Power of Public/Private Partnerships for Small Business Security.”
Jason Opal, dean and director of The Ohio State University at Mansfield, said the series is part of Ohio State’s land-grant mission to educate and inform the public.
“Besides teaching students and creating knowledge, our job is to engage directly with the problems that the people of Ohio are facing and to provide them with concrete solutions and real support,” he said. “Right now, cyberattacks pose a clear and present risk to almost everyone, so we’re going to help people defend themselves, their businesses, and their households.”
For more information, contact Cindy Wood, director of development and community relations, at 419-755-4113. Angie Cirone can be reached at acirone@richlandareachamber.com or 419-522-3211, ext. 103.