US urging allies not to pay hacker ransoms
Ahead of a meeting of world leaders in Washington, the US will push governments to combat ransomware by making a public declaration that they will not have to pay ransoms to hackers.
Ransomware has seen a gradual increase in the use of attacks targeting banking institutions, government offices and hospitals.
The plan is for the group of more than 45 governments to publicly announce before their annual meeting that no payments will be made in ransomware cases.
No negotiation with cyber criminals
Ransomware is a form of malware that steals and encrypts data before hackers charge a fee for its safe return, otherwise the files are deleted or sold. The use of ransomware by hackers has gradually increased in recent years.
Speak with Bloombergsaid Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger: “You have to go to the root cause, the root cause is money.” Ransomware is one of the most profitable methods for hackers, mainly because of the ease with which you can simply pay the ransom and continue working, rather than losing important data.
If governments issue the statement refusing to pay, it is hoped that hackers will no longer target critical infrastructure with such attacks. While Neuberger said she is “incredibly hopeful” about the declaration’s acceptance and issuance by governments, there is a chance the declaration will be a point of discussion rather than a pre-agreed confirmation.
Recent research into ransomware has shown that while advances in cyber defense are becoming more sophisticated, hackers’ ability to deploy ransomware after a successful breach is also decreasing, from 4.5 days in 2022 to within one day in 2022. 2023.