The Biden administration is preparing for any possible cyberattacks before and during the Labor Day weekend, advising businesses to be on the lookout for hackers.
FBI and DHS Release a Joint Advisory
In a recently published article in Yahoo News, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security's cyber arm warned businesses and organizations to be on the lookout for ransomware attacks ahead of Labor Day weekend. The warning comes after a slew of high-profile cyberattacks that coincided with the holidays.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stated in a joint warning that they have seen an uptick in highly disruptive ransomware attacks in the United States during holidays and weekends, when businesses are usually closed, as recently as the Fourth of July vacation in 2021.
While the White House does not have specific evidence of an upcoming attack this weekend, Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger told reporters on Thursday that hackers frequently target companies over holiday weekends when security operations centers are ill-equipped to handle such threats, according to a published article in CBS News.
Preparations of the Biden Administration Against Possible Cyberattacks
Neuberger said that they do not have any particular threat intelligence or information about assaults this weekend, but they do have history; and in the past, attackers have targeted security operations centers that were understaffed.
She also added that a long weekend may give attackers the impression that they have more time to get in before being discovered. As the holiday weekend approaches, they want to increase awareness, especially among critical infrastructure owners and operators that provide vital services to Americans, according to a report in Meritalk.
According to Neuberger, the U.S. intelligence community is on the lookout for threats; and the FBI and CISA are completely postured and fully equipped to react rapidly to any cybersecurity issues. The warning also said that the worries are based on past recent assaults during holiday weekends, rather than knowledge of particular upcoming attacks.
Previous Cyberattacks Before and During Holidays
The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline in May, which caused temporary gas shortages in several states, and the ransomware attack on meat manufacturer JBS USA during the Memorial Day holiday weekend were among the instances.
During the Fourth of July weekend, the software firm Kaseya was attacked by a ransomware assault that affected up to 1,500 businesses. Following these and other recent attacks, Neuberger advised companies in the United States to be ready for any threats that may arise in the following days, according to a published report in POLITOCOMIX.
Biden Administration Says Cyber Security Is Their Priority
In a recently published article in The Hill, the Biden administration has prioritized cybersecurity, with President Biden entering office in the aftermath of the Russian-backed SolarWinds attack, which resulted in the compromise of nine federal agencies for most of last year. In April, Biden officially sanctioned Russia for the assault.
In May, he issued an executive order to improve government cybersecurity; and during this week at the White House, he convened with executives from the IT, education, energy, and insurance industries to explore further measures to address cybersecurity issues.
