Top US, UK Cybersecurity Officials Talk About Plans on Tackling Ransomware

Cybersecurity leaders from the U.S. and the U.K. governments recently met to discuss how the two countries can further tackle ransomware.

During a face-to-face engagement in London on Sep. 9, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly and Lindy Cameron, CEO of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre, talked about their organizations’ priorities.

The bilateral meeting highlighted the impact of ransomware attacks over the past year and the need for governments to collaborate with industry in efforts to combat ransomware, Homeland Security Today reported.

On industry collaboration, the two leaders discussed the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative of the CISA and the Industry 100 scheme of the NCSC.

The Industry 100 scheme involves the combination of the U.K.’s talent from the public and private sectors to work on cybersecurity issues.

CISA’s JCDC also integrates public and private sector entities to develop unified crisis action plans and work together on defending the U.S. critical infrastructure against threats.

“Ransomware is a serious and growing security threat that cuts across borders, and it is important for us to maintain a continuing dialogue with our closest ally to tackle it,” Cameron noted.

The meeting also tackled the issue of gender diversity. Both officials from the U.S. and the U.K. agreed that their governments need to do more to remove barriers for women and girls to enter the professional cyber field.

The cyber leaders discussed the NCSC’s CyberFirst Girls Competition, a program that seeks to boost girls’ interest in cyber through team events.

Cameron and Easterly also talked about CISA’s ongoing effort to expand opportunities for women and girls to pursue careers in cybersecurity and technology, as well as closing the gender gap in the said fields.