The White House is hosting officials from 40 countries to develop a unified response to ransomware attacks

This week, the White House will host an international meeting in Washington to address the growing number of ransomware attacks around the world.

The meeting will address other cybercrimes, as well as cryptocurrencies that facilitate them, in addition to ransomware attacks. The meeting’s goal is to establish a global standard for addressing these concerns, according to the White House.

The agenda includes developing methods to defend against or disrupt these attacks, as well as “holding malicious actors accountable.” This last point is critical because ransomware perpetrators are frequently harbored by states that are hostile to the global order.

This meeting will serve as a formal follow-up to last year’s online Counter-Ransomware Initiative. In addition to the 30 countries that attended the inaugural meeting last year, seven more have joined the ranks.

North Korea, Russia, and Belarus are notable exceptions, as they are thought to facilitate and harbor ransomware attackers. For the first time, this meeting will include representatives from major technology companies such as Microsoft, SAP, and Siemens.

According to the White House, several top administration officials will attend the meeting. Deputy Cabinet members such as Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will be among them.

Key security officials such as FBI Director Chris Wray and national security adviser Jake Sullivan will also be present.