Biden alerts companies to possible Russian cyber attacks

RICHMOND, Virginia, USA (AP) President Joe Biden is asking US companies to ensure that their digital doors are securely closed due to “evolving intelligence” that Russia is considering launching cyberattacks on crucial infrastructure targets at a time when it continues to fight in Ukraine.

Biden's top cybersecurity adviser, Anne Neuberger, said Monday at a White House press conference her frustration that some critical infrastructure entities have ignored alerts from federal agencies to correct already known software issues that could be exploited by Russian hackers.

“Despite these repeated warnings, we continue to see adversaries compromise systems that use already known vulnerabilities for which computer patches exist,” said Neuberger, the president's deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies. “That makes things a lot easier for attackers.”

Since long before Russia invaded Ukraine last month, the federal government has been warning US companies of the threats posed by Russian state hackers.

The Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Security Agency (CISA) launched the “Shields Up” campaign, aimed at helping companies strengthen their protection mechanisms, and urged companies to back up their data, enable multifactor authentication and take other measures to improve cyber hygiene.

Neuberger said there is no intelligence to suggest a specific Russian cyber attack against US targets, but he did make it clear that there has been an increase in “preliminary activity”, such as scanning websites and searching for vulnerabilities, something common among hackers in national states.

In a statement, Biden said that Moscow could launch a cyber attack against US targets in retaliation for “the unprecedented economic costs we have imposed” on Russia through sanctions.

“It is part of the Russian playbook,” said the president.

The United States and its allies have implemented a series of sanctions aimed at paralyzing the Russian economy, and Biden recently announced that Washington is sending more anti-aircraft and anti-armor weapons, as well as drones to help Ukraine.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.