Adeyemo, in the highest-ranking visit of a Treasury official to
the region under President Joe Biden's administration, will also
discuss countering terrorist financing and proliferation as well
as economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic in his
visits to Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and
Qatar.
In Israel, Adeyemo will raise how to focus technology to counter
ransomware and other cyber-related threats, the spokesperson
said.
It was unclear if he would raise Israeli spyware company NSO
Group, which the U.S. Commerce Department added to its trade
blacklist this month, saying they sold spyware to foreign
governments that used the equipment to target government
officials, journalists and others.
Biden has made the government's cybersecurity response a top
priority following a series of attacks this year that threatened
to destabilize U.S. energy and food supplies.
Hackers use ransomware to take down systems that control
everything from hospital billing to manufacturing. They stop
only after receiving hefty payments, typically in cryptocurrency.
This year, gangs have hit numerous U.S. companies in large scale
hacks. One such attack on pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline
led to temporary fuel supply shortages on the U.S. East Coast.
Hackers also targeted an Iowa-based agricultural company,
sparking fears of disruptions to grain harvesting in the
Midwest.
The U.S. Treasury Department in a sanctions review last month
warned that digital currencies and payment systems could reduce
the efficacy of U.S. sanctions, allowing the transfer of funds
outside the dollar-based financial system.
"The Deputy Secretary’s visit comes on the heels of a sanctions
review that emphasized multilateral coordination on sanctions,
as well as the threats posed by emerging technologies like
virtual assets," the spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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