In a Friday phone call, President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russians must “take action” against the hackers operating out of Russia or the United States would take action to “defend its people and its critical infrastructure,” the Associated Press reports.
A ransomware attack just before the Independence Day weekend by the Russian group REvil is suspected to have infected the computer systems of more than 1,500 companies in 17 countries after being spread through software provider Synnex.
“President Biden underscored the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware,” the White House said. “President Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge.”
In the one-hour call, which took place less than a month after the pair met in Geneva, the two leaders concentrated the cyberattack at length, but other topics were also discussed, including humanitarian aid delivery to refugees in Syria. The White House declined to describe the tone of the conversation.