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The U.S. government is urging hyperawareness of cybersecurity, as Russian attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure could be forthcoming, according to POLITICO Pro (subscription).

What’s happening: In a public alert this week, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Security Agency warned “that Russia’s elite hackers could breach computer networks used” in critical infrastructure.

• A “multistage intrusion campaign” conducted from 2011 to 2018 by cyber criminals with Russian ties has helped U.S. authorities learn more about Russia’s methods.

The timing: The security agency warning comes amid heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia and the same day the World Economic Forum released its “Global Risks Report 2022.” The report cites weak cybersecurity as a top threat.

• “The WEF pointed to the widespread Log4j vulnerability that has affected nearly every business sector worldwide. The software vulnerability affecting millions of computers is exposed to hackers through just a simple line of code.”
• In 2020, ransomware attacks brought in almost half a billion dollars for hackers, according to the WEF.

Get prepared: Learn how leading companies are protecting themselves from ransomware and other cyberattacks—and how you can do the same. The NAM’s 2022 Leading Edge Cybersecurity Forum takes place Feb. 24 at the Houston Space Center. Register here.