Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

White House ransomware memo urges businesses to harden cyber defenses

White House ransomware memo urges businesses to harden cyber defenses

White House official warns 'the number and size of ransomware incidents have increased significantly'
The White House is urging the private sector to take ransomware crime seriously by ensuring corporate cyber defenses match the threat, while warning that "no company is safe" from being targeted.

White House deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology Anne Neuberger on Thursday penned a memo to corporate executives and business leaders, outlining how companies can protect themselves against ransomware attacks.

Neuberger warned that ransomware threats are "serious" and are "increasing."

The memo comes after the latest ransomware assault this week shut down the U.S.-based meat plants of the world’s largest meatpacker, Brazil-based JBS. The White House said the hack was likely carried out by a criminal group based in Russia.

"The number and size of ransomware incidents have increased significantly, and strengthening our nation’s resilience from cyberattacks – both private and public sector – is a top priority of the president’s," Neuberger wrote Thursday.

"Under President Biden’s leadership, the federal government is stepping up to do its part, working with like-minded partners around the world to disrupt and deter ransomware actors," she continued. "These efforts include disrupting ransomware networks, working with international partners to hold countries that harbor ransomware actors accountable, developing cohesive and consistent policies toward ransom payments, and enabling rapid tracing and interdiction of virtual currency proceeds."

Neuberger added that the private sector "has a critical responsibility to protect against these threats."

"All organizations must recognize that no company is safe from being targeted by ransomware, regardless of size or location," she said, urging companies to "take ransomware crime seriously and ensure your corporate cyber defenses match the threat."

Neuberger urged corporations to implement the "five best practices" from Biden's executive order, including multifactor authentication; endpoint detection and response, to hunt for malicious activity on a network and block it; encryption, so that if data is stolen, it is unusable; and a skilled, empowered security team to patch rapidly, and share and incorporate threat information."

"These practices will significantly educe the risk of a successful cyberattack," she wrote.

Neuberger also said companies should back up their data, system images and configurations, regularly test them, and keep the backups offline.

"Maintaining current backups offline is critical because if your network data is encrypted with ransomware, your organization can restore systems," she wrote.

"Ransomware attacks have disrupted organizations around the world, from hospitals across Ireland, Germany and France, to pipelines in the United States and banks in the U.K.," Neuberger continued. "The threats are serious and they are increasing. We urge you to take these critical steps to protect your organizations and the American public."

Neuberger said the U.S. government is working with countries around the world to "hold ransomware actors and the countries who harbor them accountable, but we cannot fight the threat posed by ransomware alone.

"The private sector has a distinct and key responsibility," she said. "The federal government stands ready to help you implement these best practices."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×