Politics & Government
Russia-Linked Hack A 'Great Concern,' Biden Says As Trump Silent
A cyberattack affecting the Department on Homeland Security and up to 18,000 American organizations is believed to have come from Russia.
WASHINGTON, DC — President-elect Joe Biden has responded to a cyberattack revealed earlier this month — one that Russia is suspected of being behind — while President Donald Trump has remained silent. The attack has compromised the Department of Homeland Security, the Pentagon, the U.S. Postal Service and Commerce and Treasury departments among others, according to multiple reports.
Biden's transition team issued a statement Thursday on the attack involving software from SolarWinds. The president-elect called it a "matter of great concern," according to a report from ABC News.
“I have instructed my team to learn as much as we can about this breach," Biden said. “Our adversaries should know that, as president, I will not stand idly by in the face of cyberassaults on our nation.”
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“We will elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government, further strengthen partnerships with the private sector, and expand our investment in the infrastructure and people we need to defend against malicious cyberattacks," he added. "But a good defense isn’t enough; we need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyberattacks in the first place.”
Related story: Austin-Made Software At Center Of U.S. Government Cyberattack
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Trump himself has not commented. When asked about the attack earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the administration is “taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to the situation,” according to ABC.
Software from SolarWinds had been adulterated or "Trojanized" so hackers could steal information, ABC and others have reported.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a warning about it Thursday, according to NPR, saying it "poses a grave risk" to federal, state and local governments in addition to private companies and organizations. The FBI is also investigating.
The CISA said the attack began in March and is ongoing.
SolarWinds, a company that makes IT management tools, said earlier this week up to 18,000 organizations may have been affected.
Cybersecurity experts have said Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service is responsible. Russia has denied any involvement.
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