Biden tells Putin the U.S. will take ‘any necessary action’ after latest massive ransomware attack

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday that the United States will take “any necessary action” after the latest massive ransomware attack, the White House said.

Biden has been under pressure to counter and blunt the impact of the costly, increasingly brazen assaults by what the U.S. says are Russia-based hackers. The president has warned Putin that the United States would hold Moscow responsible for cyberattacks originating from Russia even if they cannot be directly linked to the Kremlin.

In a statement, the White House said the president, in a call to Putin, “underscored the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware.”

While intelligence officials have not publicly attributed blame for the latest attack, a group known as REvil, which U.S. officials say privately operates largely from Russia, has taken responsibility for striking up to 1,500 companies in the United States, Europe and Asia. It was, experts say, the single largest such cyberattack to date.

“Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge,” the White House said.

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The Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima contributed to this story.