US President Joe Biden warns of Russian cyber attacks in the US and the use of chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine. Russia claims that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons, Biden said on Monday evening (local time). This is a clear sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering using both weapons, Biden said in a speech to company leaders. One of the instruments that Putin is most likely to use is cyber attacks. The US President called on companies in the US to strengthen their protective measures.
Russia has a very “sophisticated cyber capacity,” Biden said. There is growing evidence that Russia may be exploring options for possible cyberattacks in response to Western economic sanctions. A large part of the critical infrastructure in the USA is owned by the private sector. “You have the power, capacity, and responsibility to strengthen cybersecurity and the resilience of the critical services and technologies Americans rely on,” Biden told businesses.
“We are not looking for a conflict with Russia, but if Russia launches a cyber attack against the United States, we will respond,” warned cyber security adviser Anne Neuberger. There is no certainty that there will be a cyber attack on critical infrastructure. But you can see possible preparations.
The US government has asked companies to use multi-factor authentication on their systems to ward off cyber attacks, for example. Companies should also encrypt their data and develop contingency plans. In addition, companies should proactively contact FBI branch offices.
Regarding the possible use of chemical or biological weapons, the US President said: “He (Putin) has used chemical weapons in the past and we should be careful about what lies ahead.” Russia has accused the US and Ukraine of developing biological weapons on Ukrainian soil. International fact-checkers had already refuted claims about an alleged network of such laboratories. The US government dismissed the Russian claims as lies and warned of a possible Russian “false flag” attack.
In his speech to businessmen, Biden also commented on the fast “Kinzhal” rocket. He also saw the use of the rocket as a weakness on the part of Putin. He stands with his back to the wall. The Ukrainians would cause great damage to Russia’s tanks, helicopters or planes. The rocket, on the other hand, is almost unstoppable and therefore unstoppable by the Ukrainians. According to Russia, it has used the new weapon twice in Ukraine in the past few days. The US Department of Defense did not directly confirm the use of the missile, stressing that the US government is unable to independently verify Moscow’s claim.