White House launches ransomware task force amid calls for retaliation against Russia

Washington — Following a slew of high-profile ransomware attacks, the Biden administration has formed a multi-agency government task force aimed at curtailing malicious, state-sponsored cyber activity and hardening the nation's cybersecurity defenses, as more and more of American critical infrastructure migrates online.  

The weekly, cross-agency summits held by the task force have kickstarted a series of initiatives aimed at building up digital resilience among small businesses, preventing anonymized cryptocurrency platforms from being used for ransom payments and offering up to nine figures in cash rewards for information leading to the arrests of state-linked ransomware actors.  Lawmakers and private industry leaders have piled pressure on President Joe Biden as the White House contemplates more forceful retaliation in response to what U.S. officials consider Russian President Vladimir Putin's failure to curb ransomware operators. The cyberattacks that led to the days-long fuel shortage on the East Coast, halted one of America's largest beef suppliers and hamstrung thousands of businesses over the July 4th weekend have fueled calls for tougher action.