President Joe Biden dismissed suggestions Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing the boundaries of their tense relationship as a second company grapples with a Russia-based ransomware attack.
Biden offered a one-word response, accompanied by a wry grin, when asked by reporters whether he believes Putin is “testing” him before the pair meet for the first time in person as presidents at a summit this month in Switzerland.
“No,” Biden said Wednesday at the White House after providing a COVID-19 update.
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The president added that he and his administration are “looking closely” at whether to retaliate against Russia after one of the world’s largest meatpackers, JBS SA, reported its IT systems were compromised last weekend by the cybercriminal group known as REvil. The Brazil-based beef company closed many of its processing plants, including those in the United States, before reopening them on Wednesday.
The JBS incursion is the second major U.S. infrastructure ransomware attack by Russian hackers this year after the FBI blamed DarkSide for shutting down the Colonial Pipeline for days. That infiltration cut fuel supplies to most of the East Coast, driving up gas prices. JBS is the country’s largest beef producer, accounting for almost 25% of the market.
During her briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is “not taking any options off the table in terms of how we may respond.”
“Responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals,” she told reporters Wednesday. “President Biden certainly thinks Putin and the Russian government have a role to play in stopping these attacks.”
Though the federal government has published recommendations, Psaki repeated that private organizations are responsible for safeguarding themselves.
A day earlier, Psaki’s deputy, Karine Jean-Pierre, confirmed Biden and Putin would discuss cybersecurity when they meet in Geneva on June 16.
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Russia has also been blamed for hackers gaining access to federal government information via software company SolarWinds and its Orion update. Biden sanctioned the Kremlin, Russian businesses, and Russian citizens over the SolarWinds hack, as well as for election inference and its treatment of dissidents and journalists.
