A potentially catastrophic ransomware attack on Costa Rica’s largest oil refinery last year was the first real-world test of the US State Department’s new rapid response tool for cybersecurity incidents, according to a top diplomat. The department’s cyber bureau tapped the Foreign Assistance Leveraged for Cybersecurity Operational Needs, or FALCON, one of several US initiatives developed to bolster allies and infuse global digital norms with American values. “Our goal was to provide swift and
