A coalition of 40 countries including the United States plans to sign a pledge to refuse to pay ransoms to hackers

U.S. White House officials said that a 40-nation coalition led by the United States plans to sign a pledge to never pay ransoms to cybercriminals and is committed to eliminating the funding mechanism for hackers. U.S. National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger said the United States has been hardest hit so far, accounting for 46% of such attacks. Neuberger said the alliance's new initiative aims to eliminate criminals' funding sources by better sharing information about ransom payment accounts. Two information-sharing platforms will be created, one created by Lithuania and the other jointly by Israel and the UAE. Partner countries will share a "blacklist" through the U.S. Treasury Department that will include information on digital wallets used to divert ransomware payments. Neuberger added that the effort will use artificial intelligence to analyze blockchains to identify illicit funds. (Reuters)