President Biden Urges Private Sector to Bolster Digital Defenses

President Biden issued a memo to corporate heads across the land yesterday, insisting they must take action now to prevent a potentially crippling digital attack. Though the Biden-Harris administration has sounded the alarm in the past regarding a potential cyber-attack stemming from Russia, the administration is now making it abundantly clear that digital attacks will likely be launched in the days and weeks ahead.  

A desperate Russia is likely to resort to all possible means to fight back against Ukraine and its western allies. Even if Russia makes progress in its war against Ukraine, it will still likely launch digital attacks in response to the harsh economic sanctions imposed by the United States.

United States Intelligence Points to Pending Attacks

Domestic intelligence indicates Russia is exploring options for engaging in digital warfare against the United States, Ukraine, and allies. Though the Biden-Harris administration has gone to great lengths to prepare for such an attack, there is only so much it can do at the federal level. As a result, Biden is reaching out to corporate heads throughout the country, suggesting that they implement even more digital defenses as soon as possible to shield against seemingly inevitable Russian cyber-attacks.

Biden is urging corporations to take a series of steps to thwart potential digital offensives. For example, implementing multi-factor authentication to systems creates barriers that make it that much harder for Russian hackers to overcome. The proper patches should also be implemented to shore up digital security weaknesses.

Biden also encouraged domestic corporations to consult with cybersecurity specialists to ensure systems are adequately protected and patched against vulnerabilities. Above all, United States corporations are encouraged to deploy modern security tools on computing devices that are capable of finding and thwarting digital threats. Corporations are encouraged to encrypt data, so it is not usable if accessed in a hack. It also makes sense for domestic companies to complete exercises in which emergency plans are practiced to mitigate the impact of a digital attack.

Finally, the Biden-Harris administration recommended backing up data to ensure offline backups are available in the event of a hack. Furthermore, it makes sense to back up data offline so malicious web-based actors cannot access it.

The Biden-Harris Administration is Also Taking Important Steps

The Biden-Harris administration has enhanced digital security defenses since entering office. The president’s Executive Order to modernize the defenses of the federal government enhanced the security of technology. The president also catalyzed plans to boost the digital security of the water, pipeline, and electricity sectors. 

The administration even went as far as combining 30 partners to work in unison to identify and defeat ransomware attacks. You can find out more about the president’s call to digital arms by reading the White House fact sheet pertaining to the matter.

Take Action Now to Bolster Your Company’s Cyber Defenses

The hope is that the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts combined with those performed by companies in the private sector will fortify the nation’s digital security defenses to the point that most, if not all, cyber-attacks from Russia and other foes are defeated or at least mitigated.  

If your business has not yet enhanced its digital security defenses, now is the time to do so.  Click here to learn how to better monitor, manage, and protect your business against digital threats.