Overview
In 2022, a series of devastating ransomware attacks prompted Costa Rica’s president to declare a national emergency, describing his country as being in a ‘state of war’. This episode followed several high-profile ransomware attacks against US critical national infrastructure in 2021, which served to push ransomware up the White House’s agenda. Today, it is generally agreed that ransomware is a national security threat. However, questions remain about the effective use of statecraft to combat the threat. Ransomware criminal networks are amorphous and adaptable and have proven resilient in the face of efforts by law enforcement and cyber commands to disrupt them.
In a timely new book, Max Smeets explores the rise of ransomware as a national security threat. Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became a Threat to National Security reveals how the challenge of ransomware has evolved, how it differs in substance and style from traditional cyber threats, and how to combat it.
Speakers
Max Smeets is the Co-Director of Virtual Routes and a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. He is the author of ‘Ransom War: How Cyber Crime became a Threat to National Security’ and 'No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber- Force’.
Additionally, Max is an affiliate at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation and an associate fellow at RUSI. He also serves as the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Binding Hook, a media outlet on technology and security which is part of Virtual Routes.
The discussion will be moderated by James Babbage, Director General for Threats at the National Crime Agency and the first commander of the National Cyber Force.
How to attend
This is a hybrid event, open to all, taking place at the RUSI. The event will also be streamed on Zoom. If you have any questions regarding the event, please email [email protected].
The discussion will be on the record and the Q&A will be off the record.
