US formulating a cyber assistance fund for allies against hackers

Nathaniel Fick, ambassador-at-large for the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, said on 12 April that the US State Department is in ongoing and intense conversations with Congress about setting up an official mechanism to help foreign countries defend against and rebound from cyberattacks and develop emerging technologies.

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The US State Department is in ongoing and intense conversations with Congress about setting up an official mechanism to help foreign countries defend against and rebound from cyberattacks and develop emerging technologies, Nathaniel Fick, ambassador-at-large for the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, said on 12 April.

Fick said that the State Department is ‘pushing for a cyber assistance fund that would be dedicated to technical assistance, as well as other forms of assistance’ as US allies and partners increasingly seek Washington’s help in defending their own networks from foreign cyberattacks.

The Biden administration has provided financial assistance to allied countries to deal with cyber threats. It includes $25 million in aid to NATO member Albania and similar aid to Costa Rica. Both countries suffered cyber attacks in 2022.