White House to Host Transnational Ransomware Meeting

America’s head of state, Joe Biden, has announced plans to hold a meeting with representatives of 30 different countries later this month to discuss ransomware and other cybersecurity issues. 

In a statement released to coincide with the first day of America’s annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month, President Biden said that the chief purpose of the confab would be to address the impact of cyber-threats on economic and national security. 

The session will take place virtually and be hosted online by the White House National Security Council. On the agenda alongside ransomware will be how to crack down on the illegal use of crypto-currency and how to improve collaboration between different law enforcement agencies to prosecute cyber-criminals.

“This month, the United States will bring together 30 countries to accelerate our cooperation in combating cybercrime, improving law enforcement collaboration, stemming the illicit use of crypto-currency, and engaging on these issues diplomatically,” said the 46th president of the United States. 

“We are building a coalition of nations to advocate for and invest in trusted 5G technology and to better secure our supply chains. And, we are bringing the full strength of our capabilities to disrupt malicious cyber activity, including managing both the risks and opportunities of emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence.” 

Biden added that the nation’s cybersecurity required the effort of America’s businesses and citizens. 

“The Federal government needs the partnership of every American and every American company in these efforts,” he said. 

“We must lock our digital doors — by encrypting our data and using multi-factor authentication, for example—and we must build technology securely by design, enabling consumers to understand the risks in the technologies they buy.”  

Ransomware’s impact upon America has been felt strongly, especially in recent months when the Colonial Pipeline and meat producer JBS succumbed to the malware. 

In today’s statement, Biden said that his administration had coaxed a commitment “to deploy cybersecurity technologies” from “150 utilities” and was “working to deploy action plans for additional critical infrastructure sectors.”

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the Biden administration would “continue to build on our whole-of-government effort to deter and disrupt cyberattacks.”