Jason Nurse receives funding for new research project: 'Ransomware: The role of Cyber Insurance (RaCI)'

A team of researchers at the University of Kent has received funding from the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS) for a new project entitled ‘Ransomware: The role of Cyber Insurance (RaCI)’.

The project’s Kent Principal Investigator is Dr Jason Nurse, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the School of Computing, and Public Engagement Lead at the Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS).

The project also has Dr Gareth Mott (Lecturer in Security and Intelligence, School of Politics and International Relations), as a Co-Investigator, and research student Sarah Turner (School of Computing) as a Research Assistant. The Kent Team will work in collaboration with the world-renowned think tank RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), and two other UK universities, De Montfort University and Oxford Brookes University.

Ransomware is one of the most substantial threats facing industry and government today. It has impacted critical national infrastructure, harmed businesses and individuals alike, and has resulted in millions being paid to cybercriminals. There are numerous ongoing discussions regarding how to tackle this threat and the role of various industries from cyber security to cyber insurance.

The Ransomware: The role of Cyber Insurance (RaCI) research project is a new research effort that seeks to understand the role that the Insurance Industry plays in the context of ransomware. The project builds on the consortium's previous research and policy reports investigating the extent to which insurance can incentivise better cyber security practices and risk management.

Dr Jason Nurse commented, ‘I'm very excited to continue research in this field. Ransomware attacks are becoming worse daily and there is an urgent need for research to explore how they can be addressed and what the role of insurance is, and should be. We have a fantastic opportunity to inform current practice, research and policy, as we did with our earlier work on security and insurance which was covered by the Ransomware Task Force, The AP, ComputerWeekly, ZDNet and others.’

For more information on the project, please reach out to Dr Nurse.