Topline
The White House warned Monday about possible plans by the Russian government to target critical American infrastructure with cyberattacks, urging American companies to bolster their cybersecurity, though it clarified there isn’t evidence of any imminent attacks.
Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger speaks during a … [+]
Key Facts
There is “evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
U.S. intelligence suggests Russia has engaged in “preparatory activity” for an attack on American infrastructure, Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, said in a Monday press briefing, though she noted there is no evidence of any specific Russian attack planned and an attack isn’t a “certainty.”
Biden called malicious cyber activity a part of “Russia’s playbook,” and the United States has blamed the Russian government for a series of cyberattacks in recent years, including an attack on Ukrainian banks days before Russia invaded Ukraine last month.
The White House released a fact sheet Monday afternoon outlining steps for companies to take to improve their own cybersecurity ahead of any cyberthreat, and Neuberger noted most hospitals and other critical infrastructure targets in the U.S. are operated privately.
Big Number
58%. That’s the proportion of state-sponsored cyberattacks globally that Russia accounted for between July 2020 and June 2021, according to Microsoft’s latest digital defense report.
Surprising Fact
A cyberattack that successively shuts the northeastern United States’ power grid would inflict between $250 and $1 trillion in economic damage, according to a note from Goldman Sachs earlier this month. In the note, Goldman noted the U.S. is less susceptible to cyberattacks than most other countries, and a large-scale attack is very unlikely.
Further Reading
FACT SHEET: Act Now to Protect Against Potential Cyberattacks (White House)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/03/21/evolving-intelligence-suggests-russia-is-planning-cyberattacks-on-us-white-house-says/