Move FM Global News

WASHINGTON D.C.: After multiple breaches of government networks, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a directive requiring federal civilian agencies to update the hardware and software that are vulnerable to hacking within two weeks.

The directive is aimed at solving newly discovered software vulnerabilities and requires agencies to adopt a system for reducing the impact of security issues, but it does not apply to the Pentagon, which is responsible for its own networks.

The directive also comes after warnings from U.S. cybersecurity officials and experts about federal systems not being able to block attempts by cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers.

Last year, Russian hackers allegedly accessed the networks of agencies, such as the Justice Department, for months without being detected.

The CISA stressed that its directive, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, sends a “clear message to all organizations across the country” to address vulnerabilities that hackers are actively exploiting to access networks.

Part of the Department of Homeland Security, the CISA is investing millions of dollars in more advanced security technologies and methods to more quickly detect hacks, officials stated.

In a statement on Wednesday, CISA Director Jen Easterly said, “Every day, our adversaries are using known vulnerabilities to target federal agencies.”

After the May ransomware attack on computers at Colonial Pipeline, the White House has made cybersecurity a national priority and an economic security issue.

In June, President Joe Biden asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to prosecute hackers operating from Russia, who experts believe are responsible for the ransomware incidents at Colonial Pipeline and other institutions.

Some Russian-speaking criminal groups have laid low since the Biden-Putin meeting, while others have continued to target U.S. companies.

On Wednesday, Chris Inglis, U.S. National Cyber Director, told lawmakers the U.S. government had seen a “discernible decrease” in Russia-based hacks against U.S. organizations since the Biden-Putin summit.

The White House has also rallied allies to crack down on the sources of funding of ransomware gangs.

Last month, the National Security Council hosted a 30-country meeting to strengthen network defenses against the threat of cyberattacks.