WASHINGTON—President Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday the U.S. would take “any necessary action” to defend U.S. infrastructure and businesses from ransomware attacks, the White House said, after another wave of attacks last week illustrated the threat posed by criminal hackers operating in Russia.
The call marked the second time in less than a month that the president has raised a top national-security concern with his Russian counterpart.
The White House didn’t specify what the president’s actions could include, and said the president stressed the need for Russia to disrupt ransomware groups operating there.
Mr. Biden also “emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware,” the White House said.
In its own statement on the call, the Kremlin said Mr. Putin told Mr. Biden that Russia stood ready to “jointly suppress criminal acts in the information space” but that the U.S. hadn’t made any requests “on these issues.”
