Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown
New measures would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands to hackers.
The Home Office said this would help 'smash the cyber criminal business model' and make UK public services and businesses a less attractive target for ransomware groups.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents involved in a public consultation, opened in January, showed support for the proposal, it said.
Furthermore, under the proposals, businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government if they intended to pay a ransom.
The Government hopes this would allow it to give affected businesses advice and support, including alerting them if such a payment would risk breaking the law by sending money to sanctioned cyber criminal groups, many of whom are based in Russia.
Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid.
M&S was targeted by hackers in April, forcing it to shut down its website for six weeks and costing the business an estimated £300 million.
Co-op also had to shut off parts of its IT systems after a cyber attack that resulted in all 6.5 million of its members' personal data being stolen – including names, addresses and contact information.
M&S's chair Archie Norman said earlier this month that the hack was believed to be instigated by hacking group Scattered Spider and an Asia-based ransomware operation named DragonForce.
He refused to say whether or not the retailer had paid a ransomware demand following the attack, but said the 'damage had been done' once its systems were compromised.
Security minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on.
'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our plan for change.'
The chief executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence, said it had been the 'victim of a devastating ransomware attack in October 2023'.
'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users, however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom,' she said.
'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cyber crime and build collective resilience for the future.'
Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she welcomed the Government's proposals, adding: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber attacks cause to businesses and communities.'
The package of measures could also result in the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime, which would give law enforcement greater intelligence to track down perpetrators, according to the Home Office.
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