The International Counter Ransomware Initiative : strengthening international cooperation against ransomware

A strategic international event, this year's International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) summit brought together 68 members, with the aim of strengthening the cyber-resilience of their critical infrastructures in the face of the scourge of ransomware. This year marked the 4^th edition of the summit, as well as France’s 4^th attentive participation, represented by the French Cybersecurity Agency with the presence of Vincent Strubel, its Director General.

The Summit was held from September 30^th to October 3^rd, 2024 in Washington, D.C., at three different locations: the Organization of American States (OAS), the State Department Training Center, and NASA Headquarters. This constituted an opportunity for all CRI members to reaffirm their shared objective to develop collective resilience to ransomware, through political, financial, legal and technical levers. With 18 new members joining this year, international cooperation continues to expand and grow.

The launch of a new support fund for ransomware victims, administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, (USAID) and supported by CRI members, was announced at the event. The fund aims to provide rapid assistance and targeted support to countries hit by ransomware cyberattacks.

The cyber insurance project co-sponsored by ANSSI and its Dutch CRI partner was one of the highlights of the summit. This project aims to encourage the insurance sector to improve the overall level of resilience to ransomware attacks, in addition to strengthen their role in assisting victim companies. Cyber insurance is a major asset for organizations and represents a strategic lever to encourage them, thanks to - among others -, the provision of certification principle and support services, to apply high security standards. Discussions were helpful in moving forward with additional member states.

In addition, Vincent Strubel provided an overview centred around the preparation and the proceedings of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, sharing the best practices implemented by the Agency and insisting that preparation remains the best defense. Those lessons learned constituted a source of inspiration for the United States, which is already anticipating the next Summer Olympics in 2028. Vincent Strubel praised the excellent international cooperation achieved despite a tense geopolitical landscape and which largely contributed to the low impact of cyber-attacks during the Paris Games.

Finally, and for the first time since the creation of the summit, an entire day was devoted to artificial intelligence and its use to counter ransomware attacks, track the use of threat actors, strengthen software security, plan scenarios, or counter misinformation.