# Biden orders probe of latest ransomware attack Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-07-05 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: President Biden Orders Probe of Russian Gang Involvement in Meta Description: President Biden has ordered an investigation into a ransomware attack on American businesses, suspected to be linked to the Russian gang. Stay informed. URL: https://financedigest.com/biden-orders-probe-of-latest-ransomware-attackhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-07-03t204945z1lynxnpeh620bsrtroptp4usa-cyber-ransomware-factbox-1736838233894-compressed.jpg) By Trevor Hunnicutt CENTRAL LAKE, Mich. (Reuters) -President Joe Biden said on Saturday he has directed U.S. [intelligence agencies to investigate who was behind a sophisticated ransomware attack](https://www.financedigest.com/new-intelligence-points-to-pro-ukraine-group-in-nord-stream-attack-nyt.html "New intelligence points to pro-Ukraine group in Nord Stream attack -NYT") that hit hundreds of American businesses and led to suspicions of Russian gang involvement. Security firm Huntress Labs said on Friday it believed the Russia-linked REvil ransomware gang was to blame for the latest ransomware outbreak. Last month, the [FBI blamed the same group](https://www.financedigest.com/james-trainor-top-fbi-cyber-expert-joins-aons-cyber-solutions-group.html "James Trainor, top FBI cyber expert, joins Aon’s Cyber Solutions Group") for paralyzing meat packer JBS SA. Biden, on a visit to Michigan to promote his vaccination program, was asked about the hack while shopping for pies at a [cherry orchard market](https://www.financedigest.com/cherry-picker-crane-market-2022-scope-of-current-and-future-industry-2031.html "Cherry Picker Crane Market 2022 | Scope of Current and Future Industry 2031"). Biden said “we’re not certain” who is behind the attack. The initial thinking was it was not the [Russian government but we’re not sure yet,”](https://www.financedigest.com/g7-finance-chiefs-agree-on-russian-oil-price-cap-but-level-not-yet-set.html "G7 finance chiefs agree on Russian oil price cap but level not yet set") he said. Biden said he had directed U.S. [intelligence agencies](https://www.financedigest.com/leading-london-advertising-agency-launches-bitcoin-bonus-scheme-encouraging-staff-to-use-artificial-intelligence-in-creative-work.html "Leading London Advertising Agency Launches ‘Bitcoin Bonus’ Scheme, Encouraging Staff To Use Artificial Intelligence In Creative Work") to investigate, and the United States will respond if they determine Russia is to blame. During a summit in Geneva on June 16, Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to crack down on cyber hackers emanating from Russia, and warned of consequences if such [ransomware attacks](https://www.financedigest.com/preventing-an-operationally-crippling-ransomware-attack-do-you-know-where-your-risk-exposure-lies.html "PREVENTING AN OPERATIONALLY CRIPPLING RANSOMWARE ATTACK – DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR RISK EXPOSURE LIES?") continued to proliferate. Biden said he would receive a briefing about the latest attack on Sunday. If it is either with the knowledge of and/or a consequence of [Russia then I told Putin we will respond,” Biden](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-johnson-trudeau-pledge-artillery-for-ukraine-in-battle-against-russia.html "Biden, Johnson, Trudeau pledge artillery for Ukraine in battle against Russia") said, referring to what he told Putin in Geneva. The hackers who struck on Friday hijacked widely used [technology management software](https://www.financedigest.com/why-a-modern-organisation-needs-an-agile-approach-to-software-asset-management.html "Why a modern organisation needs an agile approach to software asset management") from a Miami-based supplier called Kaseya. They changed a Kaseya tool called VSA, used by companies that [manage technology at smaller businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/finance-management-for-small-business.html "Finance management for small business"). They then encrypted the files of those [providers’ customers](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-can-provide-a-protective-shield-to-defend-customers-from-cyber-attack.html "Banks can provide a protective shield to defend customers from cyber attack") simultaneously. Huntress said it was tracking eight managed [service providers that had been used to infect some 200 clients](https://www.financedigest.com/bny-mellon-strengthens-support-for-treasury-services-clients-in-germany-with-appointment-of-gungor-taner.html "BNY MELLON STRENGTHENS SUPPORT FOR TREASURY SERVICES CLIENTS IN GERMANY WITH APPOINTMENT OF GÜNGÖR TANER"). Kaseya said on its own website on Friday that it was investigating a “potential attack” on VSA, which is used by IT professionals to manage servers, desktops, network devices and printers. This is a colossal and devastating [supply chain](https://www.financedigest.com/mcdonalds-milkshakes-off-the-british-menu-after-supply-chain-issues-2.html "McDonald’s milkshakes off the British menu after supply chain issues") attack,” Huntress senior security researcher John Hammond said in an email, referring to an increasingly high profile hacker technique of hijacking one piece of software to compromise hundreds or thousands of users at a time. In a statement on Friday, the U.S. [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security](https://www.financedigest.com/privacy-vs-security-is-the-cybersecurity-information-sharing-act-beneficial.html "PRIVACY VS SECURITY: IS THE CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION SHARING ACT BENEFICIAL?") Agency said it was “taking action to understand and address the recent supply-chain ransomware attack” against Kaseya’s VSA product. Supply chain attacks have crept to the top of the cybersecurity agenda after the United States accused hackers of [operating at the Russian government’s direction and tampering with a network](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-network-operators-monetise-television-quickly-and-effectively.html "How can network operators monetise television quickly and effectively?") monitoring tool built by Texas software firm SolarWinds. On Thursday, U.S. and [British authorities](https://www.financedigest.com/chile-authorities-scour-mountains-for-missing-british-astronomer.html "Chile authorities scour mountains for missing British astronomer") said Russian spies accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election have spent much of the past two years abusing virtual [private networks](https://www.financedigest.com/the-new-wifi-how-private-5g-networks-could-revolutionise-business.html "The New WiFi? How Private 5G Networks Could Revolutionise Business") (VPNs) to target hundreds of organizations worldwide. On Friday, Russia’s embassy in Washington denied that charge. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; additional reporting by Raphael Satter and Joseph Menn; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Daniel Wallis, David Gregorio and Diane Craft) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---