U.S. intelligence agencies continue to investigate Viasat cyberattack, Neuberger says

A top cybersecurity official in the Biden administration said Monday that the U.S. is “carefully looking” into who is behind the hack last month that targeted satellite communications company Viasat and disrupted thousands of organizations in Europe.

Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger stopped short of attributing the attack to Russia-linked actors, following questions about the incident at a White House briefing. “There certainly are factors that we’re looking at carefully as we look at who is responsible,” she said.

Neuberger’s comments followed a statement made by President Biden warning the private sector of possible Russian cyberattacks that could target U.S. critical infrastructure.

Last week, the FBI and CISA issued an advisory in response to the Viasat disruption, alerting companies to take proper steps to prepare for similar incidents. The attack blocked internet access for Ukrainian officials on the day of the Russian invasion. Viasat Chairman Mark Dankberg, in an interview with CNBC today, said he couldn’t confirm Russia’s involvement in the attack, and said the the information would have to come from government officials. 

“We have not yet attributed that attack, but we're carefully looking at it because… of the impact not only in Ukraine, but also in satellite communication systems in Europe as well,” Neuberger said during the press briefing.