RSA Conference ― San Francisco ― Cybersecurity heads of four nations that have been sharing threat intelligence under the alliance called the “Five Eyes” participated in the RSA Conference on Tuesday, asking for multinational collaboration to defend citizens from surging ransomware attacks.
The leaders asserted that all nations should participate in the International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI), which currently has 37 member states worldwide, and should not provide safe haven for cybercriminals.
“Ransomware is a matter of public safety,” said Felicity Oswald, Chief Operating Officer at the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), at a panel discussion held at the Moscone Center on April 25. Representatives from Australia and Canada joined the conversation and agreed with Oswald regarding the severity of the ransomware threats.
Rita Erfurt, the threat intelligence senior executive at the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), pointed out that ransomware remains the most destructive cybercrime in Australia, referring to the agency’s annual cyber threat report. In last year’s report, the ACSC wrote that ransomware groups have evolved their business model, maximizing their impact by targeting the reputation of Australian organizations. “These things can be devastating to organizations in local public services,” remarked Erfurt.
Sami Khoury, Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), also stated that ransomware is “the number one threat affecting businesses” in Canada. “The actors have no scruples or morals, going out for children’s hospital and schools. That is the seriousness of this threat.”
The Canadian official further disclosed that Canada has been brushing the dust off its national cybersecurity strategy, which was established in 2018. The nation is now aiming to raise public awareness and build additional partnerships. “It is all about partnership,” emphasized Khoury.
According to Rob Joyce, Cybersecurity Director at the United States National Security Agency (NSA), threat information regarding ransomware has been consistently shared not only within the Five Eyes, but also between all 37 member states of the ransomware initiative, in order to disrupt the cybercrime infrastructure.
The Five Eyes refers to an intelligence alliance among five nations, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S. Working together for decades, these countries have built trusted communities to share signals information, or SIGINT, almost immediately, regardless of their time zone differences, according to Joyce.
The multinational initiative on ransomware, which was announced by the U.S. government and its allies in November of last year, has been expanding its partnership with the rest of the world to put a curb on surging ransomware attacks. “Every nation should participate in the initiative because every nation is responsible,” stressed the cybersecurity leader from the U.K.
