Megan Stifel and Ciaran Martin discuss the sticky issue of ransomware payments

After the deep dive on ransomware payments and how to beat back this latest crime wave, we spend several minutes in the Rapid Rundown NOT talking about the Colonial Pipeline ransomware event. Instead, we jump into Google's renewed push for automatic enrollment in 2FA, I mean, 2SV. Hooray MFA!Links:Read the Ransomware Task Force Report (mentioned throughout the episode)See Bleeping Computer's coverage of Google's default 2SVBiographical notes:Megan Stifel is Executive Director, Americas, at the Global Cyber Alliance. She previously served as Cybersecurity Policy Director at Public Knowledge. Prior to her work with nonprofits Megan served as a Director for International Cyber Policy at the National Security Council and in the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Director for Cyber Policy in the National Security Division and as counsel in the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.Ms. Stifel was previously in private practice, where she advised clients on sanctions and FCPA compliance. Before law school, Ms. Stifel worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She received a Juris Doctorate from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame. She is a partner with Social Venture Partners Charleston.Professor Ciaran Martin, CB, is Professor of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. He is also an adviser to Paladin Capital in the United States, and Garrison Technology Ltd in the United Kingdom.For six and a half years ending in the middle of 2020, Ciaran led the UK Government’s work on cybersecurity. This included establishing the National Cyber Security Centre in 2016. The UK NCSC is now recognized as one of the leading public authorities in the world for cybersecurity, and Ciaran has been running it for its first four years. During Ciaran’s tenure, the UK rose from eighth to first in the International Telecommunications Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index. The NCSC’s approach to intervening to make technology safer–and easier to use safely–as well as managing national level incidents proactively has been lauded around the world. Ciaran has been honored within the UK, Europe, the United States, and beyond for his groundbreaking efforts to combat cyber threats.Prior to running the NCSC, Ciaran held a series of senior roles in the UK Cabinet Office. As Director of Constitution, he oversaw the agreement for arrangements for the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014. He also served as Director of Security and Intelligence as well as head of the Cabinet Secretary’s office. Additionally, he has worked in the UK Treasury and National Audit Office. Originally from Northern Ireland, he holds a first-class degree in history from the University of Oxford.