Governments Urge Vigilance Against Russian Cyberattacks

U.S. President Joe Biden is urging Americans to prepare for possible state-sponsored cyberattacks from Russia, while Canadian authorities warn we're also vulnerable to Russian cyberthreats.

On March 21, Biden issued a statement warning that Russia "could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States" in response to the crippling sanctions imposed on the Kremlin by the U.S. and its allies, based on intelligence reports. Meanwhile, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is urging Canadians to "bolster their awareness of and protection against Russian state-sponsored cyberthreats."

Critical Infrastructure Could Be Targeted

Both Biden and Canadian authorities warned of Russia's penchant for attacking critical infrastructure. Russia has carried out numerous state-sponsored cyberattacks on U.S. defense, health care and government facilities sectors, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).