In this Policing TV interview, Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global VP of Threat Intelligence at Fortinet, explains the thinking behind the CSI Cybercrime Bounty Programme — a new initiative designed to incentivise the sharing of intelligence that can help disrupt cybercriminals. Derek discusses why traditional disruption methods such as arrests and infrastructure takedowns are not enough on their own, and why the industry needs new models that can help law enforcement prioritise the right targets.
The conversation also explores how the programme works in practice, from anonymous tip submission through to Fortinet’s verification and intelligence-fusion process. Derek explains the role of Crime Stoppers International, the launch of Operation Silent Vector One, the focus on ransomware groups, and the ambition to build a scalable global model that improves accountability, supports law enforcement and creates greater deterrence across the cybercrime ecosystem.
To find out more about the CSI Cybercrime Bounty Programme click here
Key takeaways
- The Cybercrime Bounty Programme was created because scalable cybercrime reward models were largely absent from the industry.
- The programme adapts the traditional Crime Stoppers bounty model for cybercrime intelligence.
- Researchers, ethical hackers and potential victims can submit information anonymously.
- Fortinet verifies and enriches submitted intelligence before it is passed to law enforcement.
- The goal is to reduce wasted law enforcement time by filtering out weak or unverified leads.
- Operation Silent Vector One is the first live bounty operation and focuses on a ransomware group.
- The programme is designed as a global initiative rather than one limited to a single region.
- Longer term, the aim is to build accountability and deterrence while making cybercrime less attractive to future offenders
Chapters
00:27 – What is the Cybercrime Bounty Programme?
03:43 – Why cybercrime bounties were missing
04:15 – Adapting the Crime Stoppers model
05:09 – Turning raw tips into useful intelligence
07:57 – Why law enforcement buy-in matters
08:47 – Operation Silent Vector One goes live
11:00 – From bounties to accountability and deterrence
12:05 – Making cybercrime a less attractive career
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#Cybercrime #Fortinet #Ransomware #CyberSecurity #ThreatIntelligence
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