Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo predicted that ransomware attacks were “here to stay.”
Raimondo said, “The first thing we have to recognize is this is the reality, and we should assume, and businesses should assume, that these attacks are here to stay and, if anything, will intensify. And so just last week, the White House sent out a letter broadly to the business community urging the business community to do more.”
She continued, “Some very simple steps like two-factor authentication, having proper backups and backup technology, can be enormously helpful against a wide variety of these attacks. So it is clear that the private sector needs to be more vigilant, by the way, including small- and medium-sized companies. Also, President Biden has been clear that we are going to do more. in fact, certain components of the American Jobs Plan Provide for investments to shore up the nation’s cyber-infrastructure, which is just another reason why it is so important that the AJP passes.”
Anchor George Stephanopoulos said, “We know a significant number of these attacks are emanating from Russia. Is it time for the administration to take a more aggressive approach and target the source of these attacks?”
Raimondo said, “Well, as I said, this is a top priority, and, again, the president has been clear, we are evaluating all the options, and we won’t stand for a nation supporting or turning a blind eye to a criminal enterprise. And as the president has said, we’re considering all of our options, and we’re not taking anything off the table as we think about possible repercussions, consequences or retaliation.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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