Biden: Cyber attacks likely the trigger to a real ‘shooting war’
Joe Biden has said any major “shooting war” is most likely to come as a consequence of a cyber attack,
Biden announced cybersecurity has become his top priority within his administration after a series of attacks on high-profile businesses across the US over recent weeks.
Software company SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, Kaseya, and meat-processing firm JBS were all subject to randomware attacks, however, some of the hackings also impacted significant fuel and food trade in the US.
Whilst visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Tuesday Biden said, “I think it’s more than likely we’re going to end up, if we end up in a war – a real shooting war with a major power – it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it’s increasing exponentially, the capabilities.”
In addition to Russian aggression, Biden said he was also concerned by China’s rise.
Xi Jinping, he said, was “deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world by the mid-40s, the 2040s.”
Following the recent cyber attacks, US Congress announced they will introduce 18 new bills on cybersecurity to better protect the country from data breaches.