CISA Announces Cyberdefense Collaboration With Google, Amazon And Microsoft To Fight Ransomware

Amid the rise in cases of ransomware attacks, a new cyberdefense collaboration has been announced in the United States. Under this, the government agencies will partner with several tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly said that several other companies have agreed to join the effort. The development holds significance as big companies in the United States facing ransomware threats are now a common affair. As per the remarks prepared by CISA, the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative of the Department of Homeland Security will coordinate all the planning related to national cyber defense across agencies and private companies.

Easterly said that the initiative will bring all the concerned people together and develop a strategy so that we will have the best plan about how to respond in wartime. Easterly said that insight to shape our understanding of cyber defense will be shared by the JCDC. “It will also design nationwide cyber defense plans to handle risks. JCDC will also conduct joint exercises so that cyber defense operations can be coordinated in a smooth way,” she said. The mission is to prevent and reduce the impact of cyberattacks as much as possible. JCDC said that coordination is key to tackle the problem of cyberattacks.

The initial aim of the group will be to develop a framework so that they can focus on combating ransomware. This framework will come in handy to help cloud providers who are impacted during the ransomware attack. Coordination between the private and public sectors can help prevent such attacks. It was highlighted during recent incidents as well. The aim is now to have a more coordinated approach to such attacks. It is pertinent to mention that JCDC is one of the many steps taken by US President Joe Biden to address ransomware attacks. Easterly has been assigned this task as she has enough experience in this field. She worked for around two decades with US Army. During this, she handled intelligence and cyber operations. She is known for her contributions in designing and creating United States Cyber Command.