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President Joe Biden on Monday issued yet another warning to U.S.-based companies that the Russian government may be plotting a cyberattack against critical infrastructure sectors.
It’s a worrying, yet predictable, sign of the fears around the Kremlin's fury over the United States helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s contemptible invasion. The statement doubled down on previous calls for U.S. companies to fortify themselves against potential Russian attacks that, if successful, could hamper electrical grids, compromise water supplies and more.
"It’s part of Russia’s playbook," Biden said in his statement Monday. "Today, my Administration is reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks."
Biden didn't reveal what “evolving intelligence” his administration has obtained on a potential Russian attack, but the fact that he's tipping companies off in this way should signal Russia’s plans are probably more concrete than theoretical.
The Biden administration has made a habit of sharing intelligence about Russian plots before they actually take place, including exposing Russia's plans to invade Ukraine and warning that Russia planned to use false flag operations to accuse Ukraine of chemical weapons attacks. Simply put: Americans — American companies, in particular — need to be on alert.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency defines “critical infrastructure” as the "physical and cyber systems and assets that are so vital to the United States that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on our physical or economic security or public health or safety.”
That’s an extremely broad category that demonstrates just how devastating and multifaceted a Russian cyberattack could be. As I wrote last month, the United States’ historically weak infrastructure has already made vital resources in American life vulnerable to cyberattacks, including our water systems, our gas systems and our internet servers, which handle everything from banking to voting.
Last month, the Biden administration announced what it’s calling the Shields Up campaign, an initiative to unite the government and the business community to develop a defense strategy against looming cyberattacks. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues into its fourth week, the likelihood that the U.S. may have to use these defense strategies grows more and more.