White House Warns Of Potential Russian Cyber-Attacks

The White House is now warning that a potential Russian cyber attack may impact our infrastructure.

Biden told American corporations and C.E.Os to harden their defenses in preparation for such a potential attack in the ‘immediate’ future. He also stated that it is their patriotic duty to defend against any potential Russian cyber-attack.

Could such language be alarmism, or is a serious threat brewing?

Russia has been accused of cyber-warfare, misinformation campaigns, and election tampering in the past, but such claims have often been hoaxed, or overblown—most famously the now debunked Russiagate scandal.

Joe Biden recently issued this warning to both captains of industry and the American public:

I’ve previously warned about the potential that Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against the U.S. Today, I’m reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks. https://t.co/wO2jJgg5SJ

— President Biden (@POTUS) March 21, 2022

Deputy NSA for Cyber Anne Neuberger: "The Russian government is exploring options for potential cyber attacks on critical infrastructure in the United States. To be clear, there is no certainty there will be a cyber incident on critical infrastructure." https://t.co/auXtAiTj2b pic.twitter.com/ckGwvLowyQ

— The Hill (@thehill) March 21, 2022

NTD News explains:

White House cyber security adviser Anne Neuberger later clarified that while there is no evidence that Russia is pursuing “specific” plans for a cyber attack against the United States, intelligence has shown some “preparatory” activity from the Kremlin.

“To be clear, there is no certainty there will be a cyber incident against critical infrastructure in the United States,” Neuberger told reporters at a press briefing shortly after the president’s statement was released.

 

What is Biden doing to DETER these Russian cyberattacks? Sounds like Biden is basically just saying brace for impact… https://t.co/KeAZmCDGP1

— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) March 21, 2022

Today President Biden is urging private sector companies to harden their cyber defenses "immediately" based on "evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks."

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 21, 2022

The Hill reports that Joe Biden has asked American C.E.Os to take precautions:

“It’s not just in your interests that are at stake with the potential use of cybersecurity, it’s in the national interest’s stake, and I would respectfully suggest it’s a patriotic obligation for you to invest as much as you can in making sure — and we will help in any way — that you have built up your technologic capacity to deal with cyberattacks,” Biden said at the Business Roundtable’s quarterly meeting on Monday evening.