Ransomware Wave Recasts Cybersecurity as a Core National Security Issue
Category:Industry News
Former White House deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger stated that ransomware attacks against UK and US organizations are forcing governments to treat cybersecurity as national security priority rather than purely IT concern. Speaking at London's Royal United Services Institute, Neuberger noted the shift from "go get your CIO to fix it" to coordinated government-CEO approaches as attack costs become "no longer tenable." Recent UK incidents include Marks & Spencer ($400M cleanup) and Jaguar Land Rover ($260M impact, potential $2.5B economic spillover), triggering parliamentary scrutiny. In the US, the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack disrupted Eastern Seaboard fuel supplies, prompting Biden to demand Putin disrupt cybercriminals. Neuberger advocates for potential ransom payment bans, increased public-private partnerships, and aggressive disruption of cryptocurrency infrastructure. "Crypto is what scaled it," she said, calling for rapid sanctions on crypto mixers.
CORTEX Protocol Intelligence Assessment
Business Impact: The elevation of ransomware to a national security issue means that major incidents can trigger regulatory scrutiny, political pressure, and potential constraints on ransom payments, impacting how organizations structure cyber insurance, incident response, and business continuity. Companies in critical sectors face heightened expectations to demonstrate resilience and active cooperation with government efforts to disrupt ransomware ecosystems.
Strategic Intelligence Guidance
- Assess current ransomware resilience against emerging regulatory and policy expectations, including tested backup strategies, segmentation, and the ability to operate during prolonged outages.
- Develop or update incident response playbooks to incorporate government coordination, legal review of ransom payment options, and requirements for timely regulatory notifications.
- Engage in public-private threat intelligence and information-sharing initiatives relevant to your sector to better understand evolving ransomware tradecraft and government countermeasures.
- Review dependencies on cryptocurrency for any legitimate business operations and ensure compliance with sanctions related to mixers and exchanges identified as supporting ransomware laundering.
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Intelligence Source: Ransomware Wave Recasts Cybersecurity as a Core National Security Issue | Nov 28, 2025