June 4, 2021

The White House warned the private sector on Thursday to beef up security against ransomware attacks after a series of attacks disrupted operations at a major meat packaging firm and the largest U.S. fuel pipeline.

The recent attacks have forced companies to consider ransomware as a threat to the business in addition to data theft since ransomware attacks not only steal data but also disrupt operations.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki called on business leaders to strengthen their cyber defenses to protect the American public and the economy.

A hacking group called REvil and Sodinokibi were behind the attack on JBS after another group, which also has ties to Russia, launched another cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline.

The attack crippled fuel supplies in the southeastern U.S. for days.

President Biden believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has a role to play in preventing these attacks.

The government urged business leaders to use multifactor authentication, endpoint detection and response, encryption, and a qualified security team.

Companies should also conduct regular system tests, back up data, and update and patch systems promptly.

Companies have also been encouraged to hire a third party to test the work of the security team so that the business functions and production of the companies can take place in separate networks.

For more information, read the original story in Reuters.