In a Friday phone conversation, President Joe Biden reminded Russian President Vladimir Putin that he must "take action" against cyber criminals operating in his country and that the US should maintain the right to protect its people and key infrastructure, according to the White House.
The discussion took place less than a month after the two leaders met in Geneva when Biden warned of further Russian cyberattacks. Biden understood the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia, according to a White House statement. He reiterated that the United States will take any necessary actions to defend its people and critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge.
The White House noted that Biden stressed his commitment to continuing engagement on the wider threat posed by ransomware. The president told reporters that the US and Russia have set up a system to communicate when one of the two countries notices something peculiar.
Biden is 'optimistic' with the latest phone call with Putin
He stated, "It went well, I'm optimistic," during a Friday call which highlighted how the ransomware threat from criminal hacker gangs has grown into a major national security concern for the White House and hinted at a possible concession by the administration that earlier warnings to Putin had failed to deter a criminal activity that has targeted businesses all over the world.
The Kremlin, on the other hand, avoided the topic, maintaining after Friday's phone conversation that Washington had not even requested help. When informed of the Kremlin's claim, a senior Biden administration official stated that many detailed demands for action were already made, AFP via MSN reported.
Ransomware cyberattacks against the US and other nations have risen dramatically in the last year, including a high-profile operation that shut down a major gasoline pipeline in the eastern US. City police departments, hospitals, and private businesses have all been affected by ransomware.
According to US officials, Russia is the primary source of these cyberattacks, in which criminals force victims to pay a ransom in return for the removal of harmful or even crippling cyber incursions. Russian intelligence services are already being blamed by the US government for orchestrating previous massive cyberattacks and interference in the heated last two presidential elections.
According to the readout, the two presidents praised their respective teams' collaborative efforts during the US-Russia summit, which resulted in the UN Security Council unanimously renewing cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria today. The call was an example of Biden's willingness to engage with Russia on areas of agreement while being open, frank, and upfront when there is disagreement, said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
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US-Russia tensions risen amid several cyberattacks
Per The Hill, tensions between the United States and Russia have risen in recent months as a result of multiple cybersecurity incidents connected to either the Russian government or Russian-based cybercriminal groups. Nine US federal agencies and 100 private sector organizations were hacked as a result of the SolarWinds cyber attack, which was initially detected in December. The cyber attack was blamed on hackers sponsored by the Russian government, according to US intelligence services.
Joe Biden told reporters after the call that he was "optimistic" after speaking with Putin and that the two countries strengthened contacts to counter such attacks. However, it is unclear what the Biden administration is planning as a response. A senior administration official told reporters on the phone that "we're not going to telegraph what those actions will be precise," but that they will happen in the coming weeks, as per the NBC News.
When questioned by a reporter if attacking the actual servers used to carry out ransomware operations made sense, Biden said yes. He also stated that he believes Putin would eventually cooperate.
After a ransomware attack by the Russian-speaking group, REvil, which is believed to operate inside Russia, hacked Kaseya, an international company that remotely controls programs for companies. This attack affected at least 200 US companies over the Fourth of July weekend. The victims of the attack pressured Biden to respond more aggressively to Putin. The REvil breach has been dubbed as the world's biggest ransomware attack.
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