Miller-Meeks Urges Biden to Hold China and Russia Accountable for Cyberattacks
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, June 29th, 2021, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) joined a letter to President Biden urging accountability of foreign adversaries for recent cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and our food system, and to find a reasonable solution to prevent future attacks.
“As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I have closely watched the recent cyberattacks that targeted JBS facilities across the country, including in my hometown of Ottumwa. Agriculture is one of the strongest drivers of Iowa’s economy and threats like these are a real danger to the agricultural supply chain that affects farmers, producers, distributors, and consumers,” said Miller-Meeks. “As the former Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I have seen how critical cybersecurity is in protecting private health data, contact tracing, and keeping our hospitals and clinics up and running to serve our communities. It is incumbent upon all of us to take cybersecurity seriously and invest in increasing our cybersecurity infrastructure.”
To read the full text of the letter, click HERE.
Background:
JBS USA is America’s largest meatpacker. Over Memorial Day weekend they were hacked with a ransomware attack that shut down the company’s operations across North America until they paid the Russian hacking group REvil a ransom of $11 million. Just like the similar recent attacks on the Colonia Pipeline, NYC Subway system, and countless hospital systems across the country, these attacks on America’s essential infrastructure are unacceptable attacks on our national security, and President Biden must hold these adversaries accountable.
These attacks have the ability to collapse markets, stir panic among Americans, and to steal intellectual property or sensitive information. When unchecked by the nations they originate from, these attacks are thinly veiled acts of aggression by our adversaries seeking to weaken our economy, create civil unrest, and corrupt our critical infrastructure. These attacks on our food system have a long-lasting distorting impact on agricultural markets and our food security.
The stability of the U.S. domestic food system is critical, not only as a foundation of the American economy and a means to avoid the devastations of famine, but also as a necessary tool in resourcing the nutritional needs of our citizenry and military personnel. As the Biden Administration and the federal government continue to investigate and respond to these attacks, it’s critical that they recognize any future attacks on segments of the food supply chain as the national security threats they really are.
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