White House warns ‘evolving intelligence’ points to Russian cyberattacks

The White House warned companies to tighten their cyberdefenses Monday — citing “evolving intelligence” that Russia may be readying attacks as payback for harsh US sanctions to punish the invasion of Ukraine.

“It’s part of Russia’s playbook,” said a statement attributed to President Biden. “Today, my Administration is reiterating [cyber] warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.”

The Biden administration previously warned of possible cyberattacks, but experts were surprised when they failed to materialize as Russian troops began pouring across Ukraine’s borders on Feb. 24.

A White House fact sheet urged companies to implement multifactor authentication and encryption of sensitive data, as well as to store backup data, update software to patch vulnerabilities, and prepare emergency plans.

White House cybersecurity official Anne Neuberger told reporters at a briefing Monday that hundreds of companies recently received classified briefings alerting them to apparent Russian preparations for cyberattacks. She did not identify the companies or industries impacted.