In the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the increasing risk of cybersecurity threats against U.S. national security, economy, and foreign policy has prompted President Joe Biden to extend the state of national emergency which was originally declared by former President Barack Obama in April 2015.
The national emergency period has been extended after the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has published a warning regarding possible Russian state-sponsored cyberattacks against U.S. organizations following the invasion of Ukraine.
The war between Russia and Ukraine will be the main topic at Thursday's NATO meeting, in which Biden's administration will rally western allies and announce a new round of financial sanctions against the Russian government, and Biden is expected to announce sanctions on hundreds of Russians serving in the country's lower legislative body, it is being observed that further sanctions will increase cybersecurity threats against U.S government.
Last month, U.S. organizations have been altered by the CISA and the FBI regarding the potential spillover of data wiping attacks against Ukraine.
"Significant malicious cyber-enabled activities originating from or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13694 with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities," said Biden.
On Tuesday, Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the administration believes that right now "they have effective posture today for what's necessary today," but further he said that Biden and NATO allies will discuss "longer-term adjustments to NATO force posture on the eastern flank."
