The U.K. government wants to require victims of ransomware to report if they were breached with the goal of providing law enforcement with information that could help target the cybercriminals responsible.
On Tuesday, the U.K.’s interior ministry, the Home Office, published a proposal with the aim of changing the British government’s strategy to counter ransomware. Among the three key proposals is a reporting requirement, which would aid authorities in identifying and disrupting hacking operations.
“Mandatory reporting is also being developed, which would equip law enforcement with essential intelligence to hunt down perpetrators and disrupt their activities, allowing for better support for victims,” read the proposal.
In its proposal, the U.K. government said the mandatory reporting requirement would allow the government to “engage in targeted disruptions in an evolving threat landscape.”
The other two key proposals include a ban on paying ransomware for public sector and critical infrastructure organizations, and a mandate to notify the government if other types of victim organizations intend to pay a hacker’s ransom.
