United States Joins Israel To Form Joint Task Force To Fight Ransomeware Attacks

Illustration. (Unsplash/Irvan Smith)

JAKARTA - The United States Treasury Department announced on Sunday it plans to cooperate with Israel to combat ransomware and launch a joint task force (Satgas) to tackle cybersecurity.

The task force will develop a memorandum of understanding that supports the sharing of information related to the financial sector, including cybersecurity regulations and threat intelligence, the US Treasury said, citing Reuters November 15.

The announcement follows a virtual meeting on ransomware held at the White House in October with the European Union and more than 30 countries, including Israel.

Deputy Finance Minister Wally Adeyemo then called for international cooperation to tackle the abuse of virtual currencies and disrupt the ransomware business model.

Later, the partnership follows steps being taken to combat a spike in ransomware that has hit several large US companies, including an attack on the United States' largest fuel pipeline that crippled fuel shipments for several days.

A broader United States-Israel task force was also launched on Sunday to address issues related to fintech and cybersecurity, the US Treasury said.

"Adeyemo met with Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Director General of the National Cyber Directorate Yigal Unna in Israel on Sunday to forge a bilateral partnership," the department said in a statement, citing Reuters November 15.

To note, earlier this month, the United States Department of Justice indicted a Ukrainian citizen and a Russian in one of the worst ransomware attacks against an American target.