36 nations led by the US agreed to enhance ransomware prevention measures, particularly regarding the use of cryptocurrencies to finance such activities.
Held at the White House, the International Ransomware Initiative summit was far more explicit about cryptocurrencies than when it opened in 2021, as concerns continue to rise over the ease with which digital tokens can be obtained by cybercriminals.
One of the main areas of concern identified by the Anti-Ransomware Initiative (CRI) was cryptocurrency laundering. The summit outlined plans to prevent this, including sharing information about harmful crypto wallets between agencies around the world, holding workshops on how to improve blockchain tracking and enforcement, and identity authentication for crypto transactions.
solid steps
Following the summit, several nations will establish new initiatives in cooperation with each other to tackle the global ransomware problem.
The International Ransomware Task Force (ICRTF) will be established at the center of the discussions. Australia will take the lead initially, with the Lithuanian Regional Cyber Defense Center (RCDC) testing a national wing, reporting ransomware intelligence it collects and shares with other countries.
Meanwhile, over the next year, the CRI will be busy developing a framework to identify priority targets and alert various law enforcement agencies, implement a set of tools that other organizations can use when investigating ransomware attacks, and create interagency channels. private and public to share ransomware information. .
Ransomware is becoming an increasingly popular tactic used by criminals to extort money from unwitting victims, and the frequency of attacks has increased at an alarming rate in recent years. Last year, in particular, saw a huge increase, with more than 600 million attacks worldwide in 2021, more than double the previous year.