UPDATED 22:50 EDT / FEBRUARY 15 2018

INFRA

UK and US put the blame on Russia for last year’s NotPetya cyberattacks

The U.K. and U.S. governments are united in blaming Russia for last year’s NotPetya cyberattacks that caused havoc around the world.

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said Wednesday that such attacks were “undermining democracy.” The attacks were first aimed at the Ukraine, but caused considerable financial damage globally. Williamson was forthright with his words, but only echoed what some other cybersecurity experts have been saying for some time.

“We have entered a new era of warfare, witnessing a destructive and deadly mix of conventional military might and malicious cyber-attacks,” said Williamson. “Russia is ripping up the rulebook by undermining democracy, wrecking livelihoods by targeting critical infrastructure and weaponizing information. We must be primed and ready to tackle these stark and intensifying threats.”

Then on Thursday, the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said pretty much the same, that Russia was indeed responsible for one of the worst cyberattacks in history.

“It was part of the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict,” Sanders said in a statement. “This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyberattack that will be met with international consequences.”

The White House said it’s reviewing options as to what will happen from here, stating that there will be “international consequences,” although there was no clarification as to what those consequences will be and the Trump administration has been reticent to criticize or take action against Russia.

Lord Ahmad, the U.K.’s foreign minster, said the country will not tolerate this kind of behavior anymore, blaming the Russian government and specifically the Russian military. “We call upon Russia to be the responsible member of the international community it claims to be, rather than secretly trying to undermine it,” he said. “We are committed to strengthening coordinated international efforts to uphold a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace.”

Such an open public outcry from both countries is being seen as quite unusual. Meanwhile Moscow has hit back, saying the accusations are “groundless.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov countered the two countries, stating, “It’s not more than a continuation of the Russophobic campaign.”

Image: Bankenverband via Flickr

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