WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, CONSTANTLY – OVERNIGHT:  Cyber warfare is here.  Our defenses are inadequate.  It's probable that Vladimir Putin is testing President Biden a few weeks before their anticipated summit meeting.  From Fox: 

Top cybersecurity officials warned Wednesday that the U.S. can expect to see more ransomware attacks as the nation reels from recent hits on U.S interests, including meat supplies and fuel.

Chris Butera, head of Threat Hunting for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said ransomware has "continued to increase, especially in our state, local governments, as well as our critical instructor space."

"The ransomware actors have become more brazen," he said during a virtual summit Wednesday. "They've started to exfiltrate data and try to extort payments."

"I do think we will continue to see that happen," Butera said, adding cybersecurity is a "primary priority" for the U.S. government.

Ransomware attacks have increasingly targeted American interests, most recently shutting down U.S. meat plants affiliated with the world’s largest meatpacker, Brazil-based JBS, earlier this week.

Butera said the government does not encourage companies to pay out ransoms on cyber-attacks but said the administration "understands" if private companies disagree.

"The government does not advocate paying ransoms," Butera said. "But we do understand that it is a significant, difficult decision for some of these organizations when they are put under the gun to try to manage their business operations during these times."

The Biden administration’s stance on handling ransomware aligns with the government’s traditional attitude when it comes to paying ransom to any criminal or terrorist group.

"This is a continuation of U.S. policy," Resident Fellow for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Klon Kitchen told Fox News. "We have always encouraged companies not to pay ransom, because it encourages future attacks."

And...

The White House has attributed the attacks on JBS and the East Coast’s Colonial pipeline – which struck the largest U.S. fuel pipeline last month – to criminal organizations within Russia.

Biden is expected to address the attacks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the June 16 summit in Geneva, White House officials announced Wednesday.

But the president has so far not said the Kremlin has had any affiliation with the ransomware attacks.

"It’s time for the United States to start putting heads on spikes when it comes to confronting and dismantling ransomware groups," Kitchen said.

"If President Biden does not confront Vladimir Putin about the ransomware groups perpetrating from within Russia, he will be failing in his duty to protect the United States from these types of attacks," he added.

COMMENT:  All this, and much more, was predicted by experts in digital warfare.  And on top of it, very much to be feared, is the possibility of an EMP attack on the United States.  A technologically advanced enemy would explode a nuclear device over our country.  The electronic pulses from the blast could wreck much of our computerized infrastructure, bringing the United States to a halt.  Don't be indifferent to this. 

Have a nice day.

June 2,  2021