Letter to Hon. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense and Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security - Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Protect Americans Against Russian Cyberattacks

Letter

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) and a bipartisan group of senators in urging Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to provide resources for private and public institutions to defend against cyberattacks by Russia or its proxies.

"The realm of cyber escalation remains largely unexplored. Presently, Russia is justly cornered by extreme sanctions measures and there are concerns it will lash out against the United States through non-kinetic attacks," wrote the senators.

"Even beyond the current Russian-induced conflict, cyber threats are growing faster than our private, state, and local institutions can adapt to them. From banks, hospitals, liquefied natural gas terminals, bridges, and roads, our institutions need to be informed and supported by the federal government in order to be prepared to absorb and rebuff offensive cyber operations by foreign adversaries," continued the senators.

The senators asked for answers regarding, among other things, what measures the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security have taken to reduce Americans' cyber vulnerabilities and the state of American institutions' preparedness for a major Russian cyber offensive.

The letter also urged Austin and Mayorkas to provide a written assessment of all recent significant malicious cumulative cyber activities against the U.S. or reported activities against U.S.-based private institutions by Russia or a suspected proxy.

"We must act now, with increased haste, before we find ourselves under a major retaliatory cyber offensive that causes extreme disruption in the lives of everyday Americans," concluded the senators.

Senators Cramer and Kennedy were joined by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), and Ron Johnson (R-WI).