The U.S. government and key allies on Wednesday issued a new joint advisory that they say is the most comprehensive overview of cyber threats posed by Russian state-sponsored and cyber criminal actors to critical infrastructures since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
The advisory isn’t a response to a new threat but is a reminder of what these threat actors have done and are capable of doing, what Russia is up to, and includes details on their malicious cyber operations and the groups themselves.
“We know that malicious cyber activity is part of the Russian playbook,” Jen Easterly, director of the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said in a statement. “We also know that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure.”
Easterly said the U.S. and its partners “urge all organizations to review the guidance in this advisory as well as visit www.cisa.gov/shields-up for continually updated information on how to protect yourself and your business.”
The advisory follows an appearance on Sunday by Easterly on the CBS News program 60 Minutes during which she said, “We are seeing evolving intelligence about Russian planning for potential attacks, and we have to assume that there’s going to be a breach, there’s going to be an incident, there’s going to be an attack.”
She told viewers that the Russian “playbook” includes targeting the energy sector and that the financial industry is also at risk given Western economic sanctions against Russia.
Shields-up, she said, “means assume there will be disruptive cyber activity and make sure you are prepared for it.”
The advisory was issued by CISA, the FBI, National Security Agency, Australian Cyber Security Center, Canadian Center for Cyber Security, National Cyber Security Center New Zealand and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Center and National Crime Agency.