The US has suffered from multiple high-profile cyberattacks in 2021, including several incidents of cyber espionage.
US Government Concerned With Rising Cyber Attacks
Sullivan’s letter is the latest sign of the Biden administration’s rising concerns on the matter. Furthermore, many hacks have been attributed to state-backed (Russia, China) hacking groups. “The SolarWinds and Hafnium incidents serve as recent reminders that strategic adversaries actively exploit vulnerabilities for malicious purposes,” Sullivan added. The US government plans to play a proactive role in strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed five bills to protect local and state governments from cyber threats. As part of the latest effort to work with software companies, Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor, will host a one-day discussion next month. Neuberger plans to speak with company officials working on open-source projects and cybersecurity.
High Profile Cyber Incidents Against the USA in 2021
One of the attacks Sullivan highlighted was the SolarWinds hack which took place in late 2020. The attack gave hackers access to the data of thousands of SolarWinds’ customers. The hack was later attributed to Russia. As a consequence, the United States imposed sanctions on Russian companies, and also removed Russian diplomats from the country. Another high-profile state-backed hack targeted Microsoft Exchange email servers. The attack led to the compromise of over 20,000 American organizations. The US government blamed Chinese state-backed hackers for the attack. Even though the hack took place in March, malicious actors are stealing and profiting from the breach. In the wake of these major incidents, federal agencies such as CISA and the FBI started taking a more proactive role. For example, these agencies regularly issue advisories on security vulnerabilities and ongoing cyber campaigns and provide crucial information to help at-risk organizations defend themselves. In September, the US Treasury announced a series of actions to combat the rise in ransomware attacks. The actions aim to disrupt the criminal networks and virtual currency exchanges that malicious actors use to launder ransoms. Apart from cybersecurity, the US government has also announced its plans to invest in anti-censorship and pro-democracy technology. Earlier this month, it provided details about a number of funds aimed at supporting global tech initiatives focused on independent journalism, anti-corruption campaigns, and historical minorities. You can read more about the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal here.
