Joe Biden dials Vladimir Putin amid alleged ransomware attacks from Russia

US President Joe Biden, on July 9, spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the ongoing ransomware attacks allegedly by Russia, the White House stated. Joe Biden spoke with Putin about the ongoing ransomware attacks allegedly by criminals based in Russia that could impact the US and other countries across the globe.

According to the press release, Biden told Putin that the US would take “any necessary action” to defend its people and infrastructure following the latest ransomware attack by a Russian-linked group that compromised as many as 1,500 businesses worldwide. Biden highlighted the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia.

The White House enumerated in a readout of the call that Joe Biden spoke with the Russian President wherein former stressed the need for Putin-led administration to take immediate action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and underscored he is committed to engaging in a broader scope of the threat posed by ransomware attacks originating in Russia.

Joe Biden reiterated that the US will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge, the White House statement read.

"The leaders commended the joint work of their respective teams following the US-Russia summit that led to the unanimous renewal of cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria today in the UN Security Council," the White House added.

Biden presses Putin to 'take Action' against Russia-linked ransomware Attacks

The conversation between the two leaders comes as Biden has faced calls to retaliate against Russia over a ransomware attack on the software provider Kaseya, the latest in a string of breaches on US companies. While the US intelligence has not publicly said who was responsible for the assault, the Russia-linked hackers known as REvil took responsibility for the attack. Biden has warned Putin that he would hold Russia accountable for the cyberattacks that originated there even if they are not directly connected to the Kremlin. 

Following his phone call with Putin, Biden told reporters that he “made it very clear to him (Putin) that the United States expects when ransomware operation is coming from his soil - even though it's not sponsored by the state - we expect him to act if we give him enough information to act on who that is”. 

Biden even said that there would be consequences if the Russian president did not act to curb the ongoing cyberattacks on the US and elsewhere but seemed to predict it wouldn’t come down to that. “I believe we’re going to get cooperation," Biden said. It is worth noting that the ransomware attacks on the US have increased sharply in the past year and have included a high-profile attack that shut down a major fuel pipeline in the eastern US. Other ransomware targets have included city police departments, hospitals and private companies.