Security News > 2021 > July > Biden Pressured to Act on 'Russian' Ransomware, Hacking
Top US officials met at the White House on stopping ransomware Wednesday, as pressure mounted on President Joe Biden to take action against Russia over cyberattacks.
Biden told reporters he would "Deliver" his own message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue, without offering any details.
In a Washington Post opinion piece Wednesday, cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch and Wilson Center Russia expert Matthew Rojansky urged Biden to sanction Russian oil and gas companies, a top source of Moscow's finances.
"Before such devastating ransomware attacks become a routine occurrence, President Biden must deliver a quiet but forceful demand: Russian President Vladimir Putin must put an immediate stop to this activity or Washington will tighten the squeeze of sanctions on the Russian economy," they wrote.
US and Russian cybersecurity officials are scheduled to meet next week on the ransomware problem.
Asked about retaliating, Psaki said officials are still cautious about attributing blame for the most recent attacks, and were not saying the Russian government was directly responsible.