• Private sector should ‘harden’ defenses, US warns
• Biden warned Putin last year against critical infrastructure cyberattacks
U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday warned that Moscow is weighing a cyberattack against Americans and asked private companies to enhance their defense.
Biden, in a statement, said Russia “could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States, including as a response to the unprecedented economic costs (sanctions)” that the nation and its European allies have imposed against Moscow in response to the Ukraine invasion.
The government has “evolving intelligence that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks,” Biden added and urged the private sector to harden their cyber defense immediately.
“Most of America’s critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and critical infrastructure owners and operators must accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors,” he said.
Biden warned Putin against critical infrastructure cyberattack
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not going how the Kremlin had expected, with Kyiv’s forces defending against the Russian military and retaining control of key cities after three weeks of fighting, including the capital.
Moreover, Moscow has failed to capture any of the ten largest cities of Ukraine amid mounting defense.
The Kremlin’s cyberattacks have also similarly struggled to successfully target Ukrainian infrastructure since the beginning of the war.
Before the invasion, the Biden sought to raise U.S. defenses against Russian cyberattacks.
Last year, Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against attacking critical infrastructure in the United States, listing 16 sectors including energy, communications satellites and health care.
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