US President Joe Biden warned on Monday that Russia is “exploring options” to launch possible cyberattacks against the United States, and called on the country’s private sector to act urgently to strengthen its defenses.
Biden made that warning at the beginning of a week that will be more focused than ever on the war in Ukraine, as this Wednesday he will travel to Brussels and then to Warsaw to try to strengthen the allied response to the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory.
The United States has long feared that Russia could respond with cyberattacks to the sanctions it has imposed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, and on Monday it assured that it has detected “preparatory activity” in this regard.
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“We have evolving intelligence indicating that Russia is exploring options for potential cyberattacks,” Biden said in a statement.
The president urged the US private sector – which is the owner and manager of most of the considered key infrastructure – to “accelerate efforts to close its digital doors” and strengthen its security systems.
“You have the power, the ability and the responsibility to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services and technologies that Americans depend on,” Biden stressed.
To implement authentication systems
Some of the measures recommended by the White House to companies are to implement multi-factor authentication systems; hire cybersecurity professionals to detect vulnerabilities; backup data and encrypt information so it cannot be used if it is stolen.
Biden’s adviser for Cybersecurity, Anne Neuberger, assured in a press conference that the United States will be “prepared to respond” if Russia carries out “disruptive cyberattacks against key infrastructure” American.
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In late February, NBC News reported on White House talks about launching cyberattacks against Russia that could hamper its ability to continue military operations in Ukraine.
Last year, Biden demanded that Russia go after hackers operating in its territory more harshly, and those he blames for cyberattacks such as the one that affected Colonial, the largest US oil pipeline network; and the one that hit JBS, the largest meat processor on the planet.
Ukraine has reported several cyberattacks on Ukrainian government and military websites that began before the Russian invasion, while Poland has also witnessed such incidents and other European Union (EU) countries remain vigilant.
The effect of the war in Ukraine on global markets and supply chains was also the focus of a Monday meeting with Biden, who spoke with CEOs of various companies about how to minimize that impact, especially in the “energy and agricultural” sectors. according to the White House.
Trip to Europe
Biden also warmed up for his trip to Europe this week, participating in an hour-long phone call with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
The five discussed how to respond to Russia’s “civilian attacks” in Ukraine, how to increase humanitarian aid to Ukrainians and how to support efforts to reach a ceasefire, the White House said in a statement.
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The American president will arrive in Brussels on Wednesday night and on Thursday he will participate in three summits: that of NATO leaders, that of the European Union (EU) and another of the G7, before giving a press conference.
On Friday he will take off for Poland, where his agenda is still unclear, beyond a meeting scheduled for Saturday with Polish President Andrzej Duda before flying back to Washington.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki insisted Monday that there is no plan for Biden to visit Ukraine, but did not rule out that he could meet with Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
“Refugees are a key part of your stopover in Poland,” Psaki said during his daily press conference.
Biden will travel accompanied by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, whose spokesman, John Kirby, confirmed on Monday that the Pentagon is helping collect evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
At a press conference, Kirby explained that the only thing the United States will do is contribute to the “investigative process”, in the face of possible future processes so that the authors of these possible war crimes are held accountable in court.
“Clearly, (the Russians) are causing large numbers of civilian casualties,” Kirby denounced. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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