Security News > 2022 > March > Russia Lays Groundwork for Cyberattacks on US Infrastructure – White House

The Russian government is exploring "Options for potential cyberattacks" on critical infrastructure in the U.S., the White House warned on Monday, in retaliation for sanctions and other punishments as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

"The current conflict has put cybersecurity initiatives in hyperdrive, and today, industry leaders aren't just concerned about adversaries breaching critical infrastructure but losing access and control to them," Saket Modi, co-founder and CEO at Safe Security, said via email.

"I have previously warned about the potential that Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States, including as a response to the unprecedented economic costs we've imposed on Russia alongside our allies and partners. It's part of Russia's playbook. Today, my Administration is reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks."

"For many organizations, the time to implement was several years ago, as the frequency and severity of attacks began to escalate. Like planting a tree, the best time to secure your organization was ten years ago. The next best time is today. Organizations that have not addressed the key items and hardened their cyber-defenses are at a significantly greater risk of compromise."

"Countries under duress have and will utilize cyberattacks as a way to retaliate and to get around sanctions. The U.S. being the face of such sanctions and a history of poorly protected infrastructure make it a tempting target. Add all this together and the warnings make a lot of sense."

Moving to the cloud? Discover emerging cloud-security threats along with solid advice for how to defend your assets with our FREE downloadable eBook, "Cloud Security: The Forecast for 2022." We explore organizations' top risks and challenges, best practices for defense, and advice for security success in such a dynamic computing environment, including handy checklists.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/russia-cyberattacks-us-infrastructure/179037/