New York put on 'ultra-high alert' in anticipation of Russian cyberattacks

‘Increased risk that Russia will carry out retaliatory cyberattacks, particularly against New York state infrastructure and individuals,’ US senator says

New York officials have warned that the state is at an “increased risk” of Russian cyberattacks in retaliation for US sanctions of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

City agents have reportedly seen an uptick in attempts to breach as tensions are rising as the Russian assault of Ukraine continues.

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On Monday, New York Democratic US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told reporters at NYPD headquarters that “Russia’s military attack on Ukraine’s cities and buildings have happened in conjunction with cyberattacks waged on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure – from its banks, to departments of government”.

“And there’s no guarantee that those attacks will be limited to Ukraine. Following the sanctions that the US and our allies have levied on Russia, there’s an increased risk that Russia will carry out retaliatory cyberattacks, particularly against New York state infrastructure and individuals,” she added.

NYPD officials have said that they haven’t found credible cybersecurity threats to the city as of yet, but that attempts have been made.

Ms Gillibrand met with Comptroller Brad Lander, New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser, and NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller for a briefing on cybersecurity before speaking to the media.

“We see threats pop up periodically, those specifically associated to this heightened sense we’ve seen an uptick, but we’re not aware of any campaign that’s explicitly targeting the city itself,” Mr Fraser said. “We deter a significant number of threats per day … But as it stands right now, there’s no compromise, or there haven’t been any compromises worth noting.”

Mr Miller said New York City has been “scanned thousands of times a day, millions of times a year, as a city entity”.

“We haven’t had any compromises, but it hasn’t been for a lack of trying or a lack of a very well-built response,” he added.

Mr Miller said the NYPD has been working with partners in the city for nine years to expand the city’s security apparatus. He added that the threat level to New York City and its vital infrastructure is “always high” but that it has increased amid escalating tensions.

“The Russian state actor, when tensions rise, increases malicious cyberattacks for both tactical – to disable systems that may be running against them from an adversary – and strategic – to be able to put pressure on other entities, be they allies or people in their interest to disable,” he said. “So, we get that we’re in a heightened threat, and we have been gearing up for that heightened threat to come along from our normal high alert to ultra-high alert. And that’s where we are.”

The extent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images)

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