Ransomware attacks remained to pose threats against the UK

A UK security organisation expressed its thoughts about why ransomware attacks have been an increasing activity for threat groups, and it is because it has remained uncontested for many years. The analyst also added that ransomware attacks had doubled this year in the UK because the attacks have thrived and worked many times. 

 

Cybercriminals are profiting a lot from ransomware attacks since victims continue to pay. This situation leads to the crime remain on posing threats all over the UK.  

 

In connection to this, the UK has launched a team of cybersecurity groups that aims to disrupt cybercrime, called the National Cyber Force (NCF). NCF is a union of groups from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the GCHQ. 

Nonetheless, security researchers insist that the cyber-offensive groups’ capabilities are insufficient to establish a cyberwarfare centre. They believe that there is a danger in over-militarising. Nevertheless, the UK has been furthering its efforts to contest cybercrime despite its rising activities in the country.  

One suggestion that the analyst has offered is to address ransomware activities’ profits by regulating cryptocurrencies. Upon analysing debates from the US and the UK, the analyst has seen cryptocurrency as a gateway for threat actors to profit and how authorities regulate these assets within their respective regions. 

Despite countries being driven to disrupt the overall business model of ransomware, some countries have developed policies that except ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure. 

For the Netherlands, their Defense Cyber Command carries out a counter-attack that averts any activities executed by threat actors to protect their country. Nevertheless, the minister of the Netherlands said that they resort to diplomatic and legal movements in terms of cybercrime measures. 

A recent cybersecurity summit led by US President Joe Biden, America and 30 other countries has all agreed to disrupt threat actors’ exploitation of different financial mechanisms in laundering ransom payments. Furthermore, they also aim to disrupt the ransomware ecosystem through a collaboration of law enforcers. 

The US has suspicions that Russia is ignoring the operations of ransomware threat groups and warns them that critical infrastructures must be off-limits as targets of attacks.