Beyond the Ransomware Task Force: Examining Government Responses to the Ransomware Scourge

Cybercrime was estimated to cost global economies $7trillion in 2022, and a great deal of this was due to ransomware or extortion-based attacks. With such a high cost, and so much accompanying disruption to society, it's not surprising that governments around the world are seeking measures to reduce ransomware activity. Having developed extensive recommendations for governments tackling ransomware, the Ransomware Task Force (RTF) works with numerous governments around the world. This talk will provide a brief overview of the RTF, it's main recommendations, and what progress has been seen in the two years since the report was published. This talk focuses specifically on government action and how it fits into the broader view of international diplomacy and the attacker landscape. I will discuss how the Russia/Ukraine conflict has impacted cybercrime, whether sanctions are creating impact, and how governments are building on existing efforts. I’ll highlight policy developments that could impact security professionals and explore the role of international collaboration and public-private partnerships.
Take aways:

1. Understanding of what governments are doing on ransomware and how things are likely to develop, with an emphasis on the likely impact for security pros.
2. Insight into current cyber diplomacy landscape and how it is impacting attacker activity.
3. Perspective on how the extortion-attacks landscape may develop.