Topics
up-to-the-minute
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Andrew Aitchison / In pictures / Getty Images
Apps
Biotech & Health
mood
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
go-ahead
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
widget
Gaming
Government & Policy
Hardware
layoff
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
infinite
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
speculation
More from TechCrunch
event
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
U.K. public sphere and vital substructure administration could be banish from making ransom payments under new proposals from the U.K. government .
The U.K. ’s Home Officelaunched a consultation on Tuesdaythat proposes a “ place forbiddance ” on ransomware payment . Under the proposal , public sphere bodies — admit local councils , schools , and NHS trusts — would be banned from making payments to ransomware hackers , which the government tell would “ strike at the gist of the cybercriminal line good example . ”
This governance marriage proposal hail after a undulation of cyberattacks direct the U.K. public sector . The NHS last yeardeclared a “ critical ” incidentfollowing a cyberattack on pathology lab supplier Synnovis , which led to a massive data breach of sensitive patient role data and months of disruption , admit delete operations and the digression of emergency patient . According tonew data point discover by Bloomberg , the cyberattack on Synnovis result in trauma to gobs of patients , conduct to long - terminus or lasting damage to their wellness in at least two typesetter’s case .
The newly sketch U.K. administration proposals would also make it a condemnable criminal offence for critical substructure organizations , such as business in the energy and communication sectors , to make ransom payments in the event of a ransomware attack . U.K. government departments are already banned from paying ransomware gangs .
The U.K. proposals also detail a new required reportage authorities for ransomware incident , which would require that cyberattack victims who are not covered by the ban account the incident to the governance . Another marriage proposal suggests a program aimed at preventing the payment of ransoms to ratified entity , which the government will have the power to block .
Security minister Dan Jarvis said : “ With an estimated $ 1 billion flowing to ransomware criminals globally in 2023 , it is vital we act to protect interior security department as a key foundation upon which this government activity ’s programme for Change is work up .
“ These proposal help us meet the scale of the ransomware threat , score these criminal networks in their wallets and abbreviate off the central financial pipeline they bank upon to work , ” enunciate Jarvis .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
According to data portion out by the Home Office on Tuesday , the U.K. ’s National Cyber Security Center make out 430 cyber incidents over the class ending August 2024 , include 13 “ nationwide significant ” ransomware incidents . These were take out “ largely by Russia - assort criminal gangs , ” the Home Office said , which proceed to pose an “ immediate and disruptive threat ” to the U.K. ’s critical national infrastructure .
The U.K. ’s National Crime Agency take action against one of these gangs in October 2024,unmasking an alleged affiliate of the fertile Russia - relate LockBit ransomware mathematical group . LockBit was linked to an earlier cyberattack onNHS IT trafficker Advanced .
The U.K. did not say if it plans to bring the criterion before lawmakers in Parliament . The Home Office ’s audience is set to finish in April 2025 .
In the United States , the Union politics has long urged against bear ransom demand but has stopped short of imposing an straight-out national ban on ransom requital . However , in October 2023 , a U.S.-led alliance of more than 40 countries vowed not to yield ransoms to cybercriminals in a bid to starve the hackers from their beginning of income .
