People wait in line at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City. The new Apple iPhone 12 was released today. Apple is among the more recent companies to be targeted by a ransomware gang, which demanded payment to “buy back” 15 stolen schematics of unreleased MacBooks and gigabytes of personal data on several major Apple brands. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The Ransomware Task Force, a collaboration of more than 60 stakeholders, released its long-awaited ransomware framework on Thursday morning, advocating nearly 50 interlocking government and private sector strategies to tackle the criminal scourge.
The Institute for Science and Technology announced the Ransomware Task Force (RTF) in December, drawing delegates from state, national and international government, law enforcement, cybersecurity insurance, security vendors, academia, think tanks and industries likely to be disrupted by ransomware. Even before its release, the report drew interest from U.S. policymakers.
“We’ve been briefing Hill staff and other members of senior leadership across DHS, DoJ, Treasury and State. There’s interest in what we’re recommending,” said Megan Stifel, co-chair of the RTF, executive director for the Global Cyber Alliance and former Department of Justice lawyer.
The 81-page document suggested international collaboration between governments to tackle the issue, with the United States organizing much of the effort and prioritizing clear guidance and support for targeted organizations.
An issue of national security
Solutions were grouped by four key themes, each of which had its own RTF working group: Deter, Disrupt, Prepare and Respond. Some were familiar, while others more novel: dissuading – but not outright banning – organizations from paying ransoms; collapsing payment systems used to acquire ransoms; and placing global pressure on nations seen as safe harbors for ransomwa ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
