Royal United Services Institute: Ransomware Reshaping Cyber as National Security Priority

Royal United Services Institute: Ransomware Reshaping Cyber as National Security Priority

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency , Cybercrime , Cybercrime as-a-service

Ransomware Reshaping Cyber as National Security Priority

Public-Private Cooperation Key for Ransomware Mitigation, Says Anne Neuberger

Anne Neuberger, former deputy NSA for cyber and emerging technologies, White House (Image: ISMG)

Non-stop, high-profile ransomware attacks against Britain and the United States have transformed cybersecurity into a national security priority, Anne Neuberger, the former White House deputy national security adviser for cyber, said at a Wednesday event in London.

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"For too long, it's been a tech thing, 'go get your CIO to fix it,'" Neuberger told attendees at an event hosted by think tank Royal United Services Institute, where she serves as a distinguished fellow.

Increasingly, ransomware attacks aren't just disrupting private businesses, but having a more society-wide impact. With the higher costs becoming "no longer tenable," she said, governments are "bringing in CEOs and saying: 'OK, this is a national problem, these are private networks, how do we tackle this together and really come up with a coordinated approach'?"

Calls for private organizations to sharpen their defenses have been on the rise following a spate of high-profile incidents creating national fallout. In the United Kingdom, this has included ransomware attacks on major retailers, including in late April against Marks & Spencer, which disrupted a national ico

Source: https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/ransomware-reshaping-cyber-as-national-security-priority-a-30160

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/royal-united-services-institute

"id": "roy1764294909.527777",
"linkid": "royal-united-services-institute",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "2025-04-24T00:00:00.000Z",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"
{'incident': {'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': None,
                                     'industry': 'Retail',
                                     'location': 'United Kingdom',
                                     'name': 'Marks & Spencer',
                                     'size': None,
                                     'type': 'Retailer'}],
              'data_breach': {'data_encryption': None,
                              'data_exfiltration': None,
                              'file_types_exposed': None,
                              'number_of_records_exposed': None,
                              'personally_identifiable_information': None,
                              'sensitivity_of_data': None,
                              'type_of_data_compromised': None},
              'description': 'Non-stop, high-profile ransomware attacks '
                             'against Britain and the United States have '
                             'transformed cybersecurity into a national '
                             'security priority. Anne Neuberger, former White '
                             'House deputy national security adviser for '
                             'cyber, highlighted the escalating societal '
                             'impact of ransomware, emphasizing the need for '
                             'public-private cooperation. Recent attacks, such '
                             'as the one on Marks & Spencer in late April, '
                             'disrupted national operations and underscored '
                             'the urgency for coordinated defenses.',
              'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': None,
                         'conversion_rate_impact': None,
                         'customer_complaints': None,
                         'data_compromised': None,
                         'downtime': 'Disruption to national operations (e.g., '
                                     'Marks & Spencer retail operations)',
                         'financial_loss': None,
                         'identity_theft_risk': None,
                         'legal_liabilities': None,
                         'operational_impact': 'Society-wide disruption, '
                                               'national fallout',
                         'payment_information_risk': None,
                         'revenue_loss': None,
                         'systems_affected': None},
              'initial_access_broker': {'backdoors_established': None,
                                        'data_sold_on_dark_web': None,
                                        'entry_point': None,
                                        'high_value_targets': None,
                                        'reconnaissance_period': None},
              'lessons_learned': 'Ransomware is evolving from a technical '
                                 'issue to a national security priority, '
                                 'requiring coordinated public-private '
                                 'defenses and CEO-level engagement.',
              'motivation': ['Financial Gain', 'Disruption'],
              'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': None,
                                         'root_causes': None},
              'ransomware': {'data_encryption': None,
                             'data_exfiltration': None,
                             'ransom_demanded': None,
                             'ransom_paid': None,
                             'ransomware_strain': None},
              'recommendations': ['Strengthen public-private cooperation to '
                                  'mitigate ransomware threats.',
                                  'Elevate cybersecurity to a national '
                                  'security priority with CEO-level '
                                  'accountability.',
                                  'Develop coordinated strategies to address '
                                  'society-wide impacts of ransomware.'],
              'references': [{'date_accessed': None,
                              'source': 'Information Security Media Group '
                                        '(ISMG)',
                              'url': None},
                             {'date_accessed': None,
                              'source': 'Royal United Services Institute '
                                        '(RUSI) Event, London',
                              'url': None}],
              'regulatory_compliance': {'fines_imposed': None,
                                        'legal_actions': None,
                                        'regulations_violated': None,
                                        'regulatory_notifications': None},
              'response': {'adaptive_behavioral_waf': None,
                           'communication_strategy': 'Public-private '
                                                     'cooperation emphasized '
                                                     'by Anne Neuberger; calls '
                                                     'for CEOs to engage in '
                                                     'coordinated national '
                                                     'defense strategies',
                           'containment_measures': None,
                           'enhanced_monitoring': None,
                           'incident_response_plan_activated': None,
                           'law_enforcement_notified': None,
                           'network_segmentation': None,
                           'on_demand_scrubbing_services': None,
                           'recovery_measures': None,
                           'remediation_measures': None,
                           'third_party_assistance': None},
              'stakeholder_advisories': "Anne Neuberger's call for CEOs to "
                                        'collaborate with governments on '
                                        'national cybersecurity strategies.',
              'title': 'Ransomware Attacks Reshaping Cybersecurity as a '
                       'National Security Priority',
              'type': ['Ransomware', 'Cybercrime', 'Cybercrime-as-a-Service']}}
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