19 tech companies, cybersecurity firms, and non-profits have
collaborated with the Institute for Security and Technology (IST)
to form a new group called "The Ransomware Task Force" (RTF) to
tackle the increasingly destructive and prevalent threat of
ransomware. The joint venture includes big names such as Microsoft,
McAfee, Rapid7, Cybereason along with other cyber advocacy groups,
threat intelligence, think tanks, and research
groups
– The Global Cyber Alliance, The
Cyber Threat Alliance, and The CyberPeace Institution, to name a
few.
The primary focus of The Ransomware Task Force will be to provide
security against Ransomware attacks by engaging various
stakeholders in assessing technical solutions and identifying
loopholes in already existing solutions. The idea is to work
collectively on building a roadmap to address the scope of the
threat based on an 'industry consensus' instead of relying upon
individual suggestions.
The founding members came together to combat a form of
cybercrime that they believe is expansive in its scope and has led
to violent consequences that go beyond economic ruination. Actively
addressing the threat of ransomware while providing clear guidance
will effectively diminish the varying levels of the ransomware kill
chain. Other founding partners include Aspen Digital, Citrix,
Resilience, SecurityScorecard, The Cybersecurity Coalition,
Stratigos Security, Team Cymru, Third Way, UT Austin Stauss Center,
Shadowserver Foundation. The website for The Ransomware Task Force
inclusive of full membership and leadership roles will be rolled
out in January 2021.
While giving insights, the Institute for Security and
Technology, one of the founding members, said, “The RTF’s founding
members understand that ransomware is too large of a threat for any
one entity to address, and have come together to provide clear
recommendations for both public and private action that will
significantly reduce the threat posed by this criminal
enterprise,”
As per Sam Curry, one of the founding members of RTF and Chief
Security Officer at Cybereason, "Time and time again, we see
ransomware capabilities deployed early in hacking operations but
not immediately detonated,"
"In these cases, the ransomware is detonated only after
preliminary stages of the attack are finished across all
compromised endpoints to achieve maximum impact on the victim.
Reducing hackers' attempts to amplify the impact of ransomware
attacks will drive down ransomware costs for the victim and
decrease the victim's inclination to pay ransom demands."
Read more https://www.ehackingnews.com/2020/12/ransomware-task-force-microsoft-mcafee.html
