Biden to Putin: Get your ransomware gangs under control and don’t you dare cyber-attack our infrastructure
- Reference: 1623909606
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/06/17/biden_putin_summit_cybersecurity_discussion/
- Source link:
The [1]readout of Biden’s post-summit press conference states that what the two presidents “… spent a great deal of time on was cyber and cybersecurity.”
“I talked about the proposition that certain critical infrastructure should be off limits to attack — period — by cyber or any other means.”
[2]
Biden gave Putin a list of “16 specific entities … defined as critical infrastructure under US policy, from the energy sector to our water systems.”
[3]
[4]
The US President also raised the topic of ransomware, telling Putin “Responsible countries need to take action against criminals who conduct ransomware activities on their territory.”
Russia’s [5]press conference transcript records Putin as saying the USA and Russia “have agreed that we will begin consultations on this.”
[6]
“In my opinion, this is extremely important,” Putin said, without offering details.
But Putin’s premise was that the USA is the aggressor that needs to explain its actions, not Russia.
He mentioned an unnamed US-based source that asserts the USA is the world’s leading source of cyber-attacks. Russia isn’t on the list, Putin said.
[7]
The President added that Russia stands accused of ten attacks on US entities, but sent 45 complaints about US-sourced attacks to Washington in 2020 and another 35 so far in 2021.
“We haven’t received a single answer so far,” Putin said.
The Russian leader also said his nation cannot bear any responsibility for the ransomware payment made by Colonial Pipeline.
[8]NCSC chief: Ransomware is more of a threat to Britain than hostile nations' spies
[9]G7 nations call out Russia for harbouring ransomware crims ahead of Biden-Putin powwow
[10]Russian gang behind SolarWinds hack returns with phishing attack disguised as mail from US aid agency
[11]Us? Pwn SolarWinds? With our reputation? Russian spy chief makes laughable denial of supply chain attack
Both nations described the talks as useful despite obvious tensions.
Only one concrete action emerged from the summit: a [12]Joint Declaration on Strategic Stability that outlined plans to stage a new “Strategic Stability Dialogue” which will try to “lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.”
However, that Dialogue will focus on kinetic and nuclear weapons. And Biden didn’t echo Putin’s remarks on cybersecurity “consultation”. ®
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[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/06/16/remarks-by-president-biden-in-press-conference-4/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YMsdPwlReGmst0fPbW24@wAAAEY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YMsdPwlReGmst0fPbW24@wAAAEY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YMsdPwlReGmst0fPbW24@wAAAEY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65870/photos
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YMsdPwlReGmst0fPbW24@wAAAEY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YMsdPwlReGmst0fPbW24@wAAAEY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/15/ncsc_chief_rusi_speech/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/14/g7_ransomware_communique_calls_out_russia/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/28/solar_winds_attacker_nobelium_returns/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/18/russian_spymaster_solarwinds/
[12] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/16/u-s-russia-presidential-joint-statement-on-strategic-stability/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
It goes both ways
We regularly hear, from Washington, about how a Russian hacker group is guilty of trying this or that. What we never hear of is what the NSA is doing in Russia, and nobody is going to be surprised to learn that the NSA has its fingers in Russia. I do not believe that the NSA is sitting pretty, hands away from keyboard, not doing anything in Russia.
Russia has sent 45 inquiries ? Why haven't we heard about that ?
If this situation is to be resolved, transparency will be needed on both sides. So come on, out with the dirty NSA laundry already.
*lol*
https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/17/gprs_encryption_backdoor/
"GPRS-era mobile data encryption algorithm GEA/1 was 'weak by design', still lingers in today's phones"
Just want to add this from Germany
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=73413
Translation of the title. "When the representative of the killer-nation calls his colleague a killer"
The picture underlying the title is from David Talbot's book "The Devil's Chessboard" about the Kennedy assassination.
I have to say that the US (and their dogs from the press) pointing fingers is creating nothing but laughter increasingly.
Funny how we bomb the crap out of countries that attack our interests but who are not capable of hitting back in a meaningful way, but take a more softly softly approach with larger adversaries.
In any case, why aren't smaller businesses off limits? Ransomware attacks can and do result in many smaller companies going out of business.
Who needs to deal drugs for cash when you can deal ransomware and reap bitcoin? Seems like it's a crime that largely goes unpunished.
Amazing how a country with the economic might of the USA can be so crippled and/or scared of a country with an economy the size of Italy.
Either Russia are great at doing a lot with very little, or the Yanks are woefully inadequate at basic network security.
Nah, they just need an enemy. Always, at all times.
People who live in glass houses ...
> The (russian) President added that Russia stands accused of ten attacks on US entities, but sent 45 complaints about US-sourced attacks to Washington in 2020 and another 35 so far in 2021.
It does seem to me that the americans are far more concerned with their own cyber-vulnerabilities that the russians are with theirs. Even though the solution is entirely (OK, maybe not entirely ) within their own control. It seems to me that if the SIX TRILLION DOLLAR MAN can toss around such huge sums as part of his "plans" for the USA, then it wouldn't take a particularly large portion of that money to build up the electronic defences of those 16 "specific entities" that seem to present the hacking world with a list of easy targets.
And for those that cannot be secured, at least take the obvious measures and remove them from harm's way by getting them off the public internet.