Biden says Russia exploring cyberattack, urges private companies to 'harden' defenses

• Private sector should ‘harden’ defenses, US warns

• Biden warned Putin last year against critical infrastructure cyberattacks

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday warned that Moscow is weighing a cyberattack against Americans and asked private companies to enhance their defense.

Biden, in a statement, said Russia “could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States, including as a response to the unprecedented economic costs (sanctions)” that the nation and its European allies have imposed against Moscow in response to the Ukraine invasion.