As the Russian invasion of Ukraine becomes a protracted campaign, and as the United States and other countries impose sanctions and other penalties on Russia in response, the possibility of Russian cyberattacks directed at the West (or that spill from Ukraine) looms large. In a series of recent alerts the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, together with other agencies, have warned of a general uptick in the possibility of destructive malware attacks, ransomware, and other malicious cyber activity being fueled by the conflict in Ukraine, including specific risks directed at companies that contract with the U.S. defense and intelligence communities and operators of critical infrastructure. The alerts serve as a reminder for companies of the importance of strong cyber defense and detection tools and the need for regular review of cybersecurity incident response plans in order to be in the best position to detect and respond to state-sponsored attacks. Should companies find themselves the target of an attack, Morrison & Foerster is well-positioned to assist with investigation and response, and outreach to law enforcement, relevant government agencies, customers, and other contacts as appropriate.
Read our full client alert.