Officials Say Russian Hackers May Retaliate for Sanctions

[Purveyor]

By Chris Strohm and Kasia Klimasinska Apr 27, 2014 12:00 AM ET

U.S. officials and security specialists are warning that Russian hackers may respond to new sanctions by attacking the computer networks of U.S. banks and other companies.

U.S. officials involved in a White House review of the effects of further penalties on Russia didn’t respond to questions about whether the study explores the risk of cyber-counterattacks. Even so, two people with knowledge of the review said it includes revisiting previous classified exercises in which small numbers of computer experts showed they were able to cripple the U.S. economy in a few days.

Cybersecurity specialists consider Russian hackers among the world’s best at infiltrating networks and say evidence exists that they already have inserted malicious software on computers in the U.S.

The Financial Services Roundtable, an industry group that includes Citigroup Inc. (C) and Bank of America Corp., is watching for any signs of hacking attacks, although nothing appears imminent, Paul Smocer, head of the technology policy division of the Washington-based trade group, said in a telephone interview.

“A cyber-attack is a real concern that we all need to have,” Smocer said. “Nation states’ ability to launch cyber-attacks is certainly real nowadays, and so in any conflict, I think that the possibility exists as we worry about escalation.”

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-26/officials-say-russian-hackers-may-retaliate-for-sanctions.html

[lostincalifornia]

1. Hackers are and will always be a threat

[okaawhatever]

2. I think the odds of that happening are close to 100%. If not, it's because they've been called

out on it.