Latest news with #InternetPollutionIndex
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Int'l Business Times
The Silent Cyber Crisis Alarming Global Economies and Why It's Time for Collective Action
The world has found itself dependent on the Internet, which powers everything, from emergency rooms and election systems to global supply chains and banking infrastructure. Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical concern. It's a matter of national resilience and global economic stability. Yet, despite daily headlines about ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, and infrastructure outages, the world remains dangerously complacent. Individuals, businesses, and governing entities alike often operate under the illusion that the internet 'just works' until it doesn't. When disruptions occur, they aren't just inconvenient. They're deeply consequential. The cyberattacks of 2024 show exactly that. The UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare division cyberattack led to widespread medical delays and a ripple effect on the stock market. A software issue involving CrowdStrike grounded flights and stalled operations across multiple industries. These events exposed a hard truth: the global economy is built on digital infrastructure that is far more fragile than people care to admit. "We live in a world of digital dependence, but not digital preparedness," says Philip Reitinger, President and CEO of the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA). "Cybersecurity is not just a technology issue. It's an economic and well-being issue with global implications." Philip Reitinger Much of the malicious activity that threatens the Internet doesn't make headlines. Attacks happen quietly: automated bots probe systems, stolen credentials circulate on the dark web, and malware using cloud infrastructure launches coordinated attacks. This ongoing digital pollution impacts not only the victims but also the very health and trustworthiness of the Internet itself. To highlight and confront this issue, GCA recently launched the Internet Pollution Index, an initiative to measure and map malicious activity flowing across global networks. The results are sobering. Some organizations, including well-known cloud service providers, unknowingly emit harmful traffic, acting as launchpads for attacks against others. "Cybercrime has become so automated, so widespread, that many networks are both victims and unwitting accomplices," Reitinger explains. "We need more visibility and accountability to break this cycle." The Common Good Cyber initiative (spearheaded by GCA) has long been at the forefront of strengthening cybersecurity worldwide. In March, the group announced a critical effort to establish a joint fund mechanism for nonprofit organizations at the Bridging the Gap event. Together with a growing network of nonprofits, corporate enterprises, and governing entities, GCA is working to safeguard the foundational components of the internet, including routing, domain names, IP address hygiene, and more. These efforts are often behind the scenes but vital. They help small businesses stay afloat, enable civil society groups to operate safely, and protect the digital backbone of democratic institutions. But they face an uphill battle. "There's only so much nonprofits and NGOs can do on their own," says Reitinger. "The hard truth is that cybersecurity for the common good requires much more investment from governing bodies, the private sector, and civil society." The consequences of underinvesting in cybersecurity aren't abstract. They're felt in economic losses, eroded trust, and the disruption of essential services. From hospitals unable to access patient records to small businesses locked out of their systems, the damage is both personal and systemic. In fact, the situation has gotten so severe that the cost of global cybercrime is expected to reach an annual cost of $10.5 trillion by 2025, with the average cost of individual breaches averaging around $4.9 million. However, this is far from simply a problem for organizations as its impact reaches everyday citizens. It was reported that a single data breach leaked the information of over 1.3 million US citizens in 2024, many of whom were none the wiser that their names, social security numbers, and home addresses were being sold to the highest bidder on the dark web. And it's not just about being a target. Some networks are already part of the problem without knowing it. According to GCA's sensor network, malicious traffic emerges from every region, targeting every IPv4 port 24/7. "Every network has a responsibility not just to protect itself but to ensure it's not unintentionally harming others," says Reitinger. "We need active collaboration, not passive protection." GCA's Internet Integrity Program builds on that spirit. By collaborating with key players in Internet infrastructure operations, the program aims to create a practical, scalable blueprint for better security across borders. Global Cyber Alliance Cybersecurity cannot be treated as an afterthought or a private burden. It is a cornerstone of economic growth, public trust, and national security. And as cyber threats grow more sophisticated, the only viable path forward is one built on collective responsibility and sustained collaboration. That includes empowering the nonprofits doing the essential, and often invisible, work of defending the Internet. Collaboration means governing bodies recognizing their role not just in protecting their own infrastructure, but in supporting the public interest across the broader ecosystem. And collaboration means acknowledging that when it comes to cyber risk, everyone is in this together. In the end, Reitinger concludes, "The internet we created belongs to all of us. And if we want to keep it safe, accessible, and reliable, then we all have a role to play in protecting it."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Global Cyber Alliance Launches Internet Pollution Index to Combat Malicious Online Activity Around the World
New tracker visualizes global cyber threat activity in real time, helping network operators, policymakers identify and mitigate malicious Internet behavior. NEW YORK, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At RIPE 90 this week, the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) presents the latest developments in AIDE, GCA's cybersecurity intelligence platform, and launches the Internet Pollution Index ( The Index is an innovative tool designed to quantify global network pollution by evaluating both the volume and severity of potentially malicious Internet traffic. The Index analyzes data from GCA's global network of honeypots, which are decoy systems intended to attract and study cyberattacks. By processing this data, the Index offers a real-time assessment of malicious network traffic, highlighting regions and networks that are significant sources of cyber threats. The Internet Pollution Index measures how "polluted" an economy's network activity is by combining the frequency and severity of different types of events. In essence, the Index reflects not just the volume of activity by economy, autonomous system, and even IP address, but also its potential threat level. "Our AIDE work helps us understand the origins and patterns of malicious online activity and is crucial in our effort to secure the Internet," said Leslie Daigle, Chief Technical Officer and Director of the Internet Integrity Program at GCA. "The Internet Pollution Index provides a clear and accessible visualization of cyber threats, empowering network operators and other relevant stakeholders to take informed actions to prevent or mitigate the impact of malicious Internet traffic." The Index moves GCA's work forward through: Gathering data: Our honeypots see 30+ million hits a month, and we know that's just a fraction of the overall issue. This data provides deep insight into the volumes of unwanted traffic and enables precise tracking of emerging global threats. Building community: The growing AIDE community now includes infrastructure operators, service providers, universities, CERTs, IoT security experts, regulators, and others who can explore collaborative solutions. Facilitating action: Network operators can use AIDE to address and ultimately reduce the unwanted traffic originating from their networks. The Internet Pollution Index is part of GCA's broader mission to build programs, tools, and partnerships that enhance cybersecurity on a global scale. By providing free and accessible resources, GCA fosters a more secure and trustworthy Internet for all. For more information about the Internet Pollution Index and to explore the tool, please visit About Global Cyber AllianceThe Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) is an international nonprofit organization working with communities to improve the Internet and help people and organizations be more secure online. It achieves this in three ways: working with communities; engaging infrastructure owners and operators; and driving ecosystem engagement for collective action on cybersecurity. GCA is a 501(c)(3) in the U.S. and a nonprofit in the U.K. and Belgium. Media Contact:Ronjini JoshuaGCA PR Team 395145@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Global Cyber Alliance Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
