The U.S. government has been making significant progress in the battle against ransomware over the past four years under President Joe Biden’s leadership. Ransomware has been declared a national security threat, leading to increased enforcement efforts by the military and intelligence agencies. Despite these efforts, cyberattacks on U.S. organizations continue to rise, with 2024 expected to be a record-breaking year for ransomware.
Looking ahead to a potential second term for President Donald Trump, cybersecurity experts are unsure of what changes may come. Marcin Kleczynski, CEO of Malwarebytes, emphasized that cyberattacks are unlikely to stop, regardless of who is in office, highlighting ransomware as a major concern.
During Trump’s first term, there were mixed results in cybersecurity efforts. While there were advances in cybersecurity policies and strategies, concerns were raised about potential budget cuts impacting cybersecurity resources. This could leave federal networks vulnerable to cyberattacks, especially in the face of threats from adversarial nations like China.
A possible second term for Trump could see a focus on deregulation, with potential implications for cybersecurity regulations and incident reporting requirements. Lisa Sotto, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth, suggested that deregulation could lead to an emphasis on self-regulation, impacting critical infrastructure cybersecurity.
Allan Liska, a ransomware expert, warned that the progress made in combating ransomware over the past four years could be at risk with increased deregulation. The global ransomware taskforce and international cooperation efforts may be jeopardized, leading to a rise in ransomware attacks and a decrease in intelligence sharing.
Looking ahead, a second Trump term could see a more aggressive approach to tackling ransomware, with a focus on offensive cyber capabilities and hacking-back initiatives. Casey Ellis, founder of Bugcrowd, predicted an increase in U.S. offensive cyber activities to deter threats to national security.
Overall, the future of ransomware and cybersecurity policy remains uncertain, with potential changes on the horizon depending on the outcome of the next presidential term. It is essential for the government and industry to work together to address the evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats.
