Americans ‘will be targeted by Russian hackers’ as payback for U.S sanctions, White House warns

RUSSIAN state-backed hackers will likely carry out cyberattacks against the United States, President Biden has warned.

The White House on Monday released a new statement addressing the United State’s growing cybersecurity threat from Russia.

Russia may carry out cyberattacks against the United States as payback for sanctionsGetty Images – Getty

The statement began with the President calling the present “a critical moment to accelerate our work to improve domestic cybersecurity and bolster our national resilience.”

Biden, who has warned about Russia conducting malicious cyberattacks against the United States in the past, explained this was in response to recently-imposed sanctions.

“This is a part of Russia’s playbook,” the President added, emphasizing the ever-present threat from Putin-backed cybercriminals.

“Today, my Administration is reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks,” he said.

While the Federal government is doing everything in its power to “deter, disrupt, and, if necessary, respond” to cyberattacks from Russia, they can’t do it alone, the President explained.

“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,” Biden asserted.

To help promote better cybersecurity practices, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been creating and sharing helpful information with organizations across the nation.

One such initiative, called “Shields Up,” provides resources to companies both large and small to help them “prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impact of cyberattacks.”

President Biden urged the private sector to look over the CISA resources and immediately strengthen their cyber defenses.

He also provided a link to a White House Fact Sheet that outlines other steps organizations can take to protect against potential cyberattacks.

Employing multi-factor authentication and getting internal systems assessed by cybersecurity professionals are some recommendations suggested on the Fact Sheet.

“You have the power, the capacity, and the responsibility to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services and technologies on which Americans rely,” Biden said.

“We need everyone to do their part to meet one of the defining threats of our time — your vigilance and urgency today can prevent or mitigate attacks tomorrow,” the President concluded.

The statement by Biden came a few days after Cybersecurity expert Hugh Taylor warned that the US could declare war on Russia if Putin-backed hackers breach the American electricity grid.

“If Americans that are used to being comfortable are facing months of no electricity or left in the freezing cold, then it could be a cause of war,” Taylor said.

However, the cyber expert also noted that because the US has thousands of power companies, “it’s almost impossible to hack all of them.”