U.S. Officials Warn Of Possible Russian Cyber Attacks, Oklahoma Cybersecurity Expert Weighs In

Federal officials are warning of possible cyber attacks by Russian-backed groups against American targets. 

“While there are no specific or credible cyber threats to the U.S. homeland at this time, we are mindful of the potential for Russia’s destabilizing actions,” read an alert by the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.

“Every organization—large and small—must be prepared to respond to disruptive cyber activity.” 

Russia engaged used cyberattacks as part of their assault on Ukraine to infect hundreds of computers and knock out government websites, the Associated Press reports. 

Teresa Rule, a cybersecurity expert and president of RNT Professional Services in Norman, said the explicit use of cyberattacks shows Russia’s willingness to infiltrate other countries’ networks. 

“It’s not contained to a specific area of operation. It’s a global attack,” Rule said.

“We’re seeing attacks on certain critical infrastructure sectors. Energy, water, manufacturing, transportation.” 

“I would say now, more than ever, we need to have increased cyber hygiene and have our ability to respond to cyberattacks.” 

President Joe Biden mentioned the possibility of Russian cyberattacks in a capital address on Thursday. 

“If Russia pursues cyberattacks against our companies, our critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond,” Biden said. 

Rule recommends individuals and businesses back up their data to external hard drives in the event of a ransomware attack. 

The Cyber Command team at the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) said they are aware of the alert put out by CISA.

The team recommends using multi-factor authentication, complex passwords, and ensuring your software is up-to-date to improve cyber security. 

Unusual incidents or reports of cyber crimes can be reported to the Cyber Command team by emailing cybercommand@omes.ok.gov, and reports to the FBI can be submitted at ic3.gov. 

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