While there's no evidence of any specific cyberattack threat, the FBI and President Biden have warned Americans about the potential for Russian cyberattacks in the near future.
According to Politico, at Business Roundtable's CEO quarterly meeting on Monday, March 21, President Biden warned private company owners that "evolving intelligence" suggests Russia is exploring potential cyberattack options targeting U.S. critical infrastructure.
"The more Putin’s back is against the wall, the greater the severity of the tactics he may employ … one of the tools he’s most likely to use in my view, in our view, is cyberattacks," Biden said on March 21, according to Politico. "The magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming."
Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, described Biden’s warning as “a call to action and a call to responsibility” to guard against attacks, Politico reports.
Neuberger told reporters at the White House, “We are reiterating these warnings, and we are doing so based on evolving threat intelligence that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in the United States.”
Members of the FBI announced the potential for cyber threats from Russia targeting U.S. infrastructure. The FBI said hackers associated with Russian internet addresses have been scanning the networks of five U.S. energy companies in possible preparation for a cyberattack, as reported by ABC News.
The FBI bulletin, issued on March 18 and obtained by CBS News, suggests Russia is exploring options for potential cyberattacks targeting the U.S. homeland.
"Russia is probably looking to aggressively respond in a manner that won't lead to war with the U.S., and cyberattacks are a means for them to exact costs without crossing a major red line," John Hultquist, VP of intelligence analysis for cybersecurity firm Mandiant, told CBS News. "Cyberattacks are often reversible and nonlethal, but their economic and psychological costs could be significant."
BBC News reports there are three major Russian cyberattacks that experts fear the most. The three attacks are BlackEnergy, NotPetya and Colonial Pipeline. According to BBC, it would be "highly unlikely" that such cyberattacks could cause loss of life or significant damage, but that possibility is "likely to be extremely carefully considered."
