The White House hosted the third meeting of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative in Washington, D.C., where delegates discussed new projects and policies to combat evolving cyberthreats. The 2023 edition of the CRI gathered 50 members, comprising 48 countries and two representatives from the European Union and the International Criminal Police Organization.
During the two-day event, the CRI advanced its mission through the Policy Pillar, which focused on members’ efforts to tackle the business models that enable the ransomware ecosystem to flourish, and the Diplomacy and Capacity Building Pillar, which highlighted adding new coalition members, including Interpol.
The initiative also underlined the critical role of its International Counter Ransomware Task Force, which provided operational tools to the CRI members to support their information-sharing efforts.
According to the White House, the CRI will provide a mentorship and tactical training program to enable new members to disrupt malicious cyber operations. The effort includes the deployment of artificial intelligence to counter ransomware.
The coalition also launched innovative information-sharing platforms allowing CRI member countries to immediately exchange threat indicators to enhance their cybersecurity measures.
Additionally, CRI members approved a joint policy statement pledging that governments under the alliance will never pay ransom to cybercriminals.
In a statement, Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, said the policy is designed to stop rewarding cyberattacks.
“As long as there is money flowing to ransomware criminals, this is a problem that will continue to grow,” Neuberger, a two-time Wash100 winner, told reporters on Tuesday.
To support the program, the alliance will create a shared blacklist of wallets used by ransomware actors. The CRI also vowed to assist members hit by a ransomware attack.
