Not long after the hacking of the US Colonial Pipeline, another cyberattack was launched in the US that has suspected ties to Russia. US President Joe Biden said he was looking into possibly retaliating following the incident.
Biden told the press Wednesday that he is looking into a possible retaliation following the reports that a cyberattack against global meat processing company JBS. This cyberattack of the Brazilian-owned company has prompted speculation as to whether Russia is harboring cybercriminals, as the previous ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline raised similar questions.
“We’re looking closely at the issue,” said Biden when he was pressed if he would be taking action against Russia ahead of his upcoming summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva a little after the G7 summit in the UK this month. When pressed if he thinks Putin was testing him ahead of their first in-person meeting, Biden said no.
The FBI linked the latest cyberattack Wednesday to “REvil and Sodinokibi” that experts have said are two names of the same hacking group that is connected with Russia. The FBI said they were working to bring those responsible to justice for the cyberattack.
Biden is already set to bring up the US concerns in his upcoming meeting with Putin along with earlier summits in the G7 and NATO. However, the White House did not blame the Kremlin directly for the recent cyberattacks but has suggested that criminal groups may be operating within Russia.
In response, Russia has said it is open to any request of assistance from the US in investigating the cyberattack.
In other news, Biden has extended his congratulations to Isaac Herzog, who was recently elected as Israel’s 11th President, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. Biden also thanked Herzog’s predecessor, Reuven Rivlin for his years of service to the country. Herzog is set to take office when Rivlin’s term ends on July 9.
“Throughout his career, President-elect Herzog has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to strengthening Israel’s security, advancing dialogue, and building bridges across the global Jewish community,” said Biden in a statement released by the White House. “I am confident that under his presidency, the partnership between Israel and the United States will continue to grow and deepen.”