Amid the rising tension between Russia and Ukraine, an FBI official issued a warning to local governments and businesses in the United States.
According to the senior member, ransomware attacks could impact them as a confrontation between the two nations continues in Europe.
Ransomware Attacks Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis
In a report by CNN, FBI's David Ring told officials and private executives to be mindful of the ongoing scuffle between the Kremlin and Ukraine in the West, according to the two unknown sources who are familiar with the matter.
The senior official expects that Russia will not be "going to get any smaller" since many cybercriminals are fully operating there.
Ring explained the implication of the ransomware attacks in the industry, especially in the business sector. On top of that, the incidents could "disrupt" even the local governments.
On Tuesday, Feb. 22, US President Joe Biden unveiled the sanctions that Russia faces once it begins invading the neighboring country.
Speaking of the United States, no "credible" threats could likely hit the US at this time, according to the officials. However, they said that they remained vigilant to every possible change that might occur.
Related Article: Ukraine Government Websites Breached by New Cyberattack! Residents' Personal Data Leaked to Public Domain
US vs Russia: Ransomware Attack
The US has been dealing with many hackers over the past years. Most of the cases include Russian hackers who have been attacking the US infrastructures. Last year, the cybercriminals were able to compromise the Colonial Pipeline for a few days.
Following these attacks, Tech Times wrote Biden's stance on the issue. The US President said at that time that he wanted to stop the state-sponsored hackers from destroying global businesses.
Besides his homeland, Biden also mentioned back then that he wanted to put an end to the attacks which also affected the other continents.
In addition, the US President made it clear that Russian hackers will receive a sanction for the crimes that they committed. He also added that President Vladimir Putin will pay off if he does not do anything to mitigate the rampant attacks.
Regarding the potential invasion of Ukraine, the US anticipated the surge of cyber threat activities perpetrated by Russian cybercriminals.
"DHS has been engaging in an outreach campaign to ensure that public and private sector partners are aware of evolving cybersecurity risks and taking steps to increase their cybersecurity preparedness," a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement.
DDoS Attacks on Ukraine
Last week, Tech Times wrote that Ukraine was hit by a series of DDoS attacks. The suspicions led to the conclusion that the possible culprits here were Russians. This could also intensify the tensions between the two countries.
NPR, in another article, listed the possible challenges that could take place in the US when Russia invades Ukraine.
According to the report, energy prices could skyrocket. To add, international stability will have a huge impact on the global markets when that happens.
Several sectors from the food to automobile industry will also suffer from it.
Read Also: Russia: FSB Arrests 14 Suspected REvil Ransomware Gang Members in Recent Raid
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
