This event will be held in person only, under Chatham House rules.

We explore how governments have responded to ransomware since its surge in 2020, using case studies of governmental measures and strategies adopted to tackle ransomware networks. From Singapore to France and from Australia to Costa Rica, new policy levers have started to be used, including: 1) expanding the mandates of existing institutions; 2) setting up permanent operations to fight ransomware; 3) exploring new forms of international collaboration and 4) using active defence measures. In the process of countering ransomware, there has been a significant shift from a strictly defensive stance to deploying offensive capabilities that aim to neutralise and shut down attacking systems, within and outside of a given jurisdiction. This presentation discusses the key findings from this research and offers recommendations for public action.

Dr Roxana Radu is an Associate Professor of Digital Technologies and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, , University of Oxford and a Hugh Price Fellow at Jesus College. She is passionate about technology governance and building a better digital future. She often advises governments and international organisations on digital governance issues and currently serves on the Advisory Group of the EU Cybersecurity Agency.