The UK government will ban ransomware payments. Is this the way to stop hackers?

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UK sticks it to cybercriminals with ban on ransomware payments

The British government will implement new measures blocking financial negotiations with digital thieves.

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Timothy Beck Werth

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A man under an umbrella looks at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in Westminster, London

Credit: Dinendra Haria / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images

You've heard the phrase, "We don't negotiate with terrorists." Well, the UK government seems to have a similar approach in mind for dealing with cybercriminals.

Today, the British government announced it will introduce new cybersecurity measures to prohibit public sector and critical national infrastructure organizations from making ransomware payments to cybercriminals.

In ransomware attacks, cybercriminals steal data or take control of critical technology infrastructure, then demand ransom payments to restore access.

A blog post published today by the UK Home Office says the new ransomware rule will affect the country's National Health Service (NHS), local government councils, and schools. The UK government stated that almost three-quarters of people surveyed about the measure supported this proposal.

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The new cybersecurity rules are designed to protect both public organizations and private businesses. According to Bleeping Computer, the measure will also require businesses to notify the government before making ransomware payments. This would allow the government to prevent payments to sanctioned cybercriminal gangs in countries like Russia.

Ransomware is a persistent cybersecurity threat, and the recent ransomware attack against cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase earned a spot in our guide to the biggest data breaches of the year. In the UK, cybercriminals also famously attacked the NHS, and more recently, the retail company Marks & Spencer.

In the Coinbase breach, hackers held hostage data from nearly 70,000 Coinbase customers and demanded $20 million to restore access to compromised customer support systems. Refusing to pay the ransom, Coinbase instead established a $20 million reward to bring the criminals responsible for the attack to justice and promised to cover financial losses to their users.

Companies in the United States face both federal and state regulations that require them to report ransomware incidents. However, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, North Carolina is the only state with legislation that prohibits payments to ransomware groups. In addition, this law only applies to state agencies and local governments.

The new rules from the United Kingdom could be the start of a new approach to ransomware payments, an international problem for governments and businesses alike.

headshot of timothy beck werth, a handsome journalist with great hair

Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.

Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.


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