MCLAUGHLIN: And, of course, there's the question of Russia, where lots of cybercriminals actually live. And certainly the partners who join us around the world are those where potentially there are criminal actors who are in those countries where there is experience in criminal cyber activity. And these are exactly the kinds of efforts that we have in mind. She says those types of arrests are going to be top of mind this week.ĪNNE NEUBERGER: One of the panels will focus on disruption. I also spoke to President Biden's deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, Anne Neuberger. International law enforcement officials tell me that there's more to come down the line. They posted a video of piles of cash on YouTube. Just a few weeks ago, the FBI partnered with international law enforcement to arrest ransomware operators. Ukraine, for example, is already helping hunt cybercriminals. The White House says they were chosen partially because they've all had issues with ransomware, too. You've got everyone from Ukraine and Romania to the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, the list goes on. Jenna, so who exactly is invited to this summit? For more on this, we're joined by NPR cybersecurity correspondent Jenna McLaughlin. Cyber hackers are stealing and locking up important files owned by everyone from pipeline operators to local libraries. “No one country, no one group can solve this problem,” Sullivan said.The White House is hosting a virtual gathering with over 30 countries starting today to address the issue of ransomware. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during this week’s virtual summit. Yet, ransomware remains a global problem, as U.S. To top this all off, there are also rumors the Biden administration is eyeing an executive order to crack down on the crypto industry. The State Department is even incorporating cryptocurrency payments-to the tune of $10 million-to dark web informants that can identify any person who is participating “in malicious cyber activities against U.S. In August, the Biden administration also dusted off the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program-an initiative from 1984 that has paid over $150 million to over 100 informants that helped prevent acts of terrorism. The Biden administration also spent the summer setting up a bespoke ransomware task force, aimed at combating cyberattacks and tracing cryptocurrency ransoms.Īnne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser said during an accompanying briefing that the administration is working on ways to quell the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for illegal activities. Department of Justice said it would elevate ransomware to a similar priority level as terrorism. In the United States, President Biden has made ransomware a priority for the administration’s approach to national security.Įarlier this summer-amid ransomware attacks against Colonial Pipeline and meat processing firm JBS-the U.S. National security, ransomware, and crypto Ransomware activities-and their associated ties to cryptocurrencies-have become a major focus for the Biden administration’s national security agenda. “We also recognize the challenges some jurisdictions face in developing frameworks and investigative capabilities to address the constantly evolving and highly distributed business operations involving virtual assets,” the representatives added. Ransomware groups, they said, can easily transfer any stolen funds to jurisdictions that aren’t up to scratch on tracking illicit transactions. The representatives also said that internationally coordinated scrutiny of cryptocurrencies would be integral to facing the ransomware threat head-on. “We are dedicated to enhancing our efforts to disrupt the ransomware business model and associated money-laundering activities,” the representatives reportedly said in a collective statement yesterday. Representatives from the European Union (EU) and 31 other countries met during a virtual summit this week to coordinate a global response to ransomware, per the Wall Street Journal. The Biden administration has already taken several steps to crack down on ransomware and crypto.Representatives from the EU and 31 governments have called for a global approach to ransomware.
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