Just three months after the launch of the No More Ransom project, law enforcement agencies from a further 13 countries have signed up to fight ransomware together with the private sector.

Their collaboration will result in more free decryption tools becoming available, helping even more victims to decrypt their devices and unlock their information, and damaging the cybercriminals where it hurts the most: their wallets.

The new members are: the United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Further law enforcement agencies and private sector organisations are expected to join the programme in the coming months

No More Ransom was launched on 25 July 2016, by the Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab. The aim of the online portal is to provide a helpful resource for victims of ransomware. Users can find information on what ransomware is, how it works and, most importantly, how to protect themselves.

During the first two months, more than 2,500 people have successfully managed to decrypt their data without having to pay the criminals, using the main decryption tools on the platform (CoinVault, WildFire and Shade). This has deprived cybercriminals of an estimated $1+ million in ransoms. Currently, five decryption tools are listed on the website.

"Europol is fully committed to supporting the enlargement of the No More Ransom project within the EU and internationally to respond to ransomware in an effective and concerted manner," says Steven Wilson, head of the European Cybercrime Centre. 

"Despite the increasing challenges, the initiative has demonstrated that a coordinated approach by EU law enforcement that includes all relevant partners can result in significant successes in fighting this type of crime, focusing on the important areas of prevention and awareness. I am confident that the online portal will continue to improve in the months to come. All police forces are warmly encouraged to join the fight."