A research project co-led by the University of Kent and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has informed the latest official guidance by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on tackling the cyber threat of ransomware. Dr Jason Nurse, a Reader in Cyber Security at iCSS, and his collaborators explored the topic of ransomware and the impact that the cyber insurance industry could have on it – positive and negative.
Their report – Cyber Insurance and the Ransomware Challenge – has been well received internationally, and now has formally played a central role in the development of NCSC’s best practice guidance that sets out recommendations to empower businesses to make informed decisions in dealing with ransomware, and ultimately to help minimise the harm of ransomware incidents. Such incidents have significantly impacted UK organisations including London Hospitals very recently, to the NHS and Royal Mail. This guidance will support thousands of organisations across the UK.
Dr Nurse said, “Ransomware continues to be a significant threat. Even now as I comment, several hospitals in London are cancelling operations and delaying care due to a critical ransomware incident. I’m pleased to see that our research is having a direct impact on national and international efforts to address these cyber-attacks and the harms they cause.”
More about the NCSC’s press release can be found here. The official guidance is accessible on the NCSC website. An academic paper documenting this research (open access) has been published by Dr Nurse and his co-authors, which is titled “Between a rock and a hard(ening) place: Cyber insurance in the ransomware era”.