May 13 2021 U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the hacking of the U.S. Colonial pipeline company has nothing to do with the Russian government, but he looks forward to meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to mention cybercrime.
Biden said at the White House the same day, the U.S. side does not believe that the Russian government and the Colonial pipeline company hacking incident, but the U.S. side has good reason to believe that the perpetrators of the cyberattack live in Russia.
Biden said responsible countries must take action against ransomware criminal networks, and the U.S. has been communicating with Russia on the matter. The U.S. is trying to establish international standards, and he expects to discuss the matter with Putin.
The pipeline operated by The Colonial Pipeline Company is one of the most important oil pipelines in the United States. On July 7th hackers locked the company’s computer systems and stole confidential documents in an attempt to ransom on the condition of unlocking them. At one point, the company was forced to shut down its entire energy supply network, severely affecting energy supplies such as fuel on the East Coast of the United States.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation on the 10th identified the hacker group “dark side” to carry out the cyberattack, said the hacker organization is based in Russia or Eastern European countries. Russian President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on the 11th that Russia has nothing to do with the cyber attack.
Biden proposed in April that he and Putin hold a summit in Europe this summer to discuss bilateral relations. Biden said in early May that he hoped to meet with Putin during a visit to Europe in June. U.S.-Russian relations have been strained in recent years, and since the Biden administration took office, the two sides have achieved limited cooperation in arms control, but differences over Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights, and election meddling have intensified.
