UK to Propose Mandatory Reporting of Ransomware Attacks

UK authorities, will move forward with a proposal to review how the country responds to ransomware attacks, making it mandatory for all victims to report incidents to the government and obtain a license before making any payments.

These proposals will be included in a public notice to be published next month, according to information developed by The Record.

Another suggested proposal is to completely ban ransomware payments from organizations involved in important national infrastructure. This ban aims to eliminate the interest of cybercriminals in disrupting these services and prevent them from making money from such incidents.

UK officials believe that the obligation to report attacks could help clarify the true extent of this phenomenon, which remains a big mystery for politicians. The National Cyber Security Centre and the Office of the Information Commissioner warned last year about the increasing number of victims of ransomware attacks that are being kept secret.

However, the successful implementation of this new obligation for victims to report attacks depends on the success of replacing the country's official cybercrime reporting platform, Action Fraud. Police officials in London announced that the service had been delayed at the beginning of this year.

While it is hoped that the change will fully fulfill the obligation to report incidents and help some victims understand that they have options other than paying the ransom, there are some concerns that the application process for a license could delay data recovery and increase damage and disruption caused by such attacks.

It is hoped that these proposals will be further developed before becoming a reality and may force the UK government to create new laws on the subject.

These proposals, even if not implemented immediately, represent a critical development in how governments around the world are responding to this ransomware crisis.

A spokesperson for the UK government told The Record that resolving ransomware attacks is a priority and that the country is ready to fight against these attacks.

Source: UK to Propose Mandatory Reporting of Ransomware Attacks (itsecurity.pt)