Following consecutive hacks, US hints at retaliation... Biden "Carefully reviewing"

US Anger Over JBS Ransomware Attack
Likely to Be Mentioned at Summit with Putin on the 16th

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Tensions are rising ahead of the upcoming summit between the United States and Russia on the 16th, as U.S. President Joe Biden recently hinted at retaliatory measures in response to hacking attacks suspected to be carried out by Russia.

On the 2nd (local time), during a press conference held at the White House, President Biden responded to reporters' questions about whether there would be retaliatory actions against Russia's repeated ransomware attacks by saying, "We are closely reviewing the matter," suggesting that retaliation is likely. Some interpret this as Russian President Vladimir Putin testing the U.S. ahead of the summit, but President Biden drew a line by stating, "I don't think they are trying to test us." Presidents Biden and Putin will hold their first summit since Biden's inauguration in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 16th.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also stated during a briefing that "President Biden plans to discuss with President Putin at the summit on the 16th the role of the Russian government in managing ransomware criminals operating within Russia," strongly criticizing, "A responsible government does not hide criminals."

Earlier, JBS, the world's largest meat processing company’s U.S. subsidiary, detected a hacking attack on the 30th of last month and notified the White House, describing it as an extortion attempt by a criminal group believed to be based in Russia. The hacking attack is reportedly linked to 'REvil,' a notorious hacking group associated with the Russian government, sparking controversy in the international community.

Notably, this attack occurred less than a month after Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel pipeline operator, was hit by a ransomware attack from the hacker group 'DarkSide' on the 7th of last month, intensifying anti-Russian sentiment within the U.S. At that time, Colonial Pipeline, responsible for supplying 45% of the fuel to the U.S. East Coast, was shut down, causing panic buying of gasoline and petroleum products and resulting in chaos.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.