40 countries vow not to pay ransomware attackers

Forty countries in a US-led alliance that includes South Africa plan to sign a pledge never to pay ransom to cybercriminals.

Forty countries in a US-led alliance that includes South Africa plan to sign a pledge never to pay ransom to cybercriminals and to work towards eliminating the hackers’ funding mechanism, a senior White House official said on Tuesday.

The International Counter Ransomware Initiative comes as the number of ransomware attacks grows worldwide. The US is by far the worst hit, with 46% of such attacks, Anne Neuberger, US deputy national security adviser in the Joe Biden administration for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters on a virtual briefing.

“As long as there is money flowing to ransomware criminals, this is a problem that will continue to grow,” she said.

By Agency Staff

Full story at Tech Central