Mapping to Disrupt: Binance’s Role in the Cybercrime Atlas Initiative
Main Takeaways
Cybercrime Atlas is a collaborative initiative aimed at disrupting the global cybercriminal ecosystem by leveraging open-source intelligence and cross-sector partnerships.
Binance, alongside other key players, actively contributes to identifying vulnerabilities and enhancing threat mitigation efforts.
Through cooperation between private and public sectors, the Cybercrime Atlas fosters a unified approach to fighting cyber threats on a systemic level.
Cybercrime is a global issue that transcends borders, requiring collective action to mitigate its damaging effects. At Binance, we recognize that effective cybersecurity demands collaboration between private enterprises, law enforcement, and policymakers. That’s why we are proud to be part of the Cybercrime Atlas, a World Economic Forum-hosted initiative that promotes deeper cooperation to tackle cybercrime. By sharing intelligence, pooling resources, and using open-source research, the Cybercrime Atlas community is making a notable impact in the fight against the criminal networks operating in the digital world.
United Against Cyber Threats
Despite an abundance of data on cyber threats, the global effort to counteract cybercrime has long been fragmented. The Cybercrime Atlas tackles this problem by bringing together experts representing various organizations and fields – cybersecurity, financial services, information technology, and more – to build a comprehensive map of the cybercriminal ecosystem.
Launched in January 2023 by the World Economic Forum’s Partnership Against Cybercrime members, this initiative currently unites 23 leading private-sector organizations to develop strategies for threat mitigation. Binance had been part of the core group from the very beginning, already contributing to collaborative efforts months before the initiative was formalized under the roof of the WEF.
Binance’s role involves active participation in weekly threat-hunting sessions, during which participants rely on open-source intelligence (OSINT) to analyze emerging threats and coordinate disruption efforts. By collaborating with law enforcement and other stakeholders, the Atlas enhances our understanding of how cybercriminal operations function, thereby empowering participants to take meaningful preventative actions.
The 2024 Cybercrime Atlas Impact Report
The recently released Cybercrime Atlas Impact Report highlights the initiative's achievements in its first year, offering a roadmap for the systematic disruption of cybercrime. A key takeaway from the report is the importance of understanding the criminal ecosystem as a complex network of interdependent activities. Much like legitimate businesses, cybercriminal groups rely on supply chains, hubs of illicit services, and infrastructure that can be targeted and weakened through concerted efforts.
The Cybercrime Atlas community has vetted over 10,000 actionable data points that contribute to these efforts, which fueled two cross-border disruption campaigns in 2024 alone. Through its research packages, the Atlas helps identify critical choke points in the cybercriminal ecosystem. This ensures that individual actors, whether private companies or public entities, are empowered to effectively mitigate cyber threats.
The Power of Open-Source Intelligence
A cornerstone of the Cybercrime Atlas approach is its reliance on OSINT, which significantly reduces data-sharing concerns while enabling broad collaboration across borders. Drawing on publicly available information facilitates a deeper understanding of the criminal landscape without compromising privacy. This method is especially advantageous when participants from different jurisdictions come together, as it allows for the seamless integration of intelligence and expertise from diverse sources.
The use of OSINT has proven essential in mapping the activities of cybercriminal groups, including identifying weak links that can be exploited to disrupt operations. By tapping into open-source data, participants can collaborate more effectively with public-sector bodies like law enforcement agencies, creating opportunities for large-scale interventions that weaken cybercriminal networks.
Guiding Principles of the Cybercrime Atlas
The Cybercrime Atlas operates under two guiding principles: serving the public interest and pursuing systemic impact. First, the initiative focuses on disrupting cybercriminal activities that harm society. These include ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, and crimes like human trafficking and large-scale fraud. By targeting the most dangerous actors, the Atlas community ensures that its efforts directly protect vulnerable individuals and essential services.
The second guiding principle, systemic impact, refers to the broader insights gained through investigating specific cybercrime groups. Every operation sheds light on the larger ecosystem, enabling more effective long-term strategies for disrupting criminal networks. In this way, research generated by the Atlas doesn't just address isolated incidents but contributes to a stronger collective defense against cyber threats.
Opportunities for Collective Disruption
One of the most compelling aspects of the Cybercrime Atlas is its emphasis on collective action. Through shared research and intelligence, participants can identify strategic points in the criminal ecosystem where coordinated disruption can yield maximum results. Moreover, this collaboration extends to the public sector, with law enforcement agencies and policymakers benefiting from the insights generated by the Atlas. The partnership allows for better-coordinated efforts across borders, ensuring that cybercriminals cannot simply evade justice by operating in regions with weaker cybersecurity frameworks.
As Nils Andersen-Röed, Binance’s Global Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, notes, “By participating in efforts like this one, Binance contributes to securing the digital-asset space and the broader digital environment. We remain confident that working together is the most effective way to disrupt cybercrime and build a safer, more resilient internet for everyone”.
The Cybercrime Atlas initiative perfectly aligns with Binance’s belief that security in the digital age cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires a concerted, collective effort from both the private and public sectors.