Israel and UAE Join New ‘Crystal Ball’ Platform of the Counter Ransomware Initiative

The international CRI (Counter Ransomware Initiative) announced the “Crystal Ball” platform. A collaborative and multilateral threat intelligence platform operated by Microsoft, for its 60 partner countries. As part of this initiative, the Israeli National Cyber Command (INCD) and the United Arab Emirates Cyber Council (CSC) have joined forces to create a collaborative, multilateral and effective threat intelligence platform, called Crystal Ball, for use by CRI members.

The CRI initiative is currently recognized as the largest collaboration in the field of cyber security by the father of cybercrime at the state level, and especially in the treatment of ransomware. The CRI chairman from the White House increased the number of partners from 35 in 2022 to 60 as of today and the number continues to rise.

The areas of the platform are attribution, deterrence and culture:

• Attributing incidents and attacks to their source by sharing intelligence at an international level.
• Deter criminals from future attacks by actively cooperating with countries in real time.
• Cultivate a culture of information sharing for a more united world.

Gabi Portnoy, Head of the National Cyber System, Israel: “In the fight against ransomware, our vision extends beyond borders. The purpose of the platform is to empower countries to predict threats, unite against cybercrimes and shape a future where security knows no borders. Just as cybercriminals create networks of malicious intent, we recognize the need for a unified defense network to counter their efforts.”