CNN: White House, intelligence and DHS discuss repelling Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine
Photo: Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters
Representatives of the White House, US intelligence, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies discussed preparations for repelling cyberattacks that Russia allegedly could carry out against the United States and Ukraine. This is reported by CNN, citing sources in the US administration.
According to the interlocutors, the meeting via videoconference took place on Friday, February 11.
Representatives of the administration and departments discussed the question of what measures the American leadership can take in the event of “potentially possible attacks by cybercriminals or state-linked” hackers.
There was also discussion of a possible increase in the number of ransomware attacks on American companies that “Russian-speaking hackers” could allegedly launch. In addition, the meeting touched upon the issue of providing support to Ukraine in the field of cybersecurity. According to sources, there is a “concrete, credible threat” of attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine, while there is no such threat in the United States at the moment.
Earlier in February, it was reported that the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was considering imposing sanctions on Russia for alleged cyberattacks by Moscow against Ukraine.
On the night of January 14, there was a cyber attack on government websites of Ukraine. Access to the websites of the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries of foreign affairs, education, sports, energy, agricultural policy, as well as the state emergency service was lost. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) called the incident the largest hacker attack in four years.
