CPW’s Kristin Bryan was interviewed by Global Data Review last week concerning an Arizona bill that would ban publicly funded ransomware payments. As she explained, “[t]his development out of Arizona is consistent with this nationwide push to deter
ransomware attacks, and congruent with actions taken recently at the federal level.” She noted recent US Department of Treasury actions to disrupt ransomware by sanctioning cryptocurrency exchanges and banning payments to certain networks. The Biden administration has also removed barriers to information sharing between public and private entities and threatened to void contracts with non-secure government contractors. However, notwithstanding these efforts, as the GDR article explains “the treasury department said in November that the $590 million in ransomware payments up to that point in 2021 already exceeded the $416 million paid across 2020 – which is why state policymakers are joining the search for policy solutions.” To see the complete article and Kristin’s insights, check out the link below (reprinted with permission of GDR).