For now, the three accounts tied to the ransomware attack appear untouched — and it’ll be difficult for perpetrators to cash in anytime soon without getting traced.
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HOW MUCH MONEY?
Security experts say the amount of ransom collected so far appears small relative to the extent of the outbreak. Tom Bossert, President Donald Trump’s adviser for homeland security and counterterrorism, says it appears less than $70,000 has been paid in ransoms.
It’s possible, though, that there are unknown accounts beyond the three identified.
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WHO’S USING BITCOIN?
Some businesses have jumped on the bitcoin bandwagon amid a flurry of media coverage. Overstock.com accepts payments in bitcoin, for example.
The currency has become popular enough that more than 300,000 daily transactions have been occurring recently, according to bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info. A year ago, activity was closer to 230,000 transactions per day.
Still, its popularity is low compared with cash and cards, and many individuals and businesses won’t accept bitcoins for payments.
