Fight Against Ransomware: Tech Giants – Amazon, Microsoft, Google Join US Cyber Team

Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have solicited the help of US cybersecurity experts to battle ransomware and secure cloud computing systems from hackers.

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the tech titans are among the companies that have signed on to be a member of a Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative aimed at combining government and private sector capabilities and resources to combat hackers (CISA).

“Our initial focus will be on efforts to battle ransomware and building a planning framework to manage issues affecting cloud service providers with these incredibly talented partners,” said CISA director Jen Easterly.

Last week, US President Joe Biden expressed alarm about the recent rise in cyberattacks, particularly ransomware, which encrypts victims’ data and then demands money to recover access.

“If we end up in a war, a real shooting war, with a major power, it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach,” Biden said.

Easterly announced the new collaboration during the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, where industry experts gathered to discuss research and ideas.

“Cybercrime costs the globe trillions of dollars, and ransomware has become a scourge,” Easterly warned in a keynote address at the conference.

“I’d like to concentrate on improving the government’s partnership with the private sector, including industry, universities, researchers, and hackers.”

According to CISA, the new centre would be involved in coordinating national cyber defence, sharing threat intelligence, and participating in joint exercises.

More computer security organisations should join the collaborative effort, Easterly said.

Amazon Web Services, AT&T, Crowdstrike, FireEye, Google, and Microsoft are among the companies that have already signed up.