Biden slams Trump Administration for failing to prioritize cybersecurity after massive hack

On Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden blamed the Trump Administration for failing to prioritize the cybersecurity from getting hacked, and he promised to take serious steps as and when he takes office. 

"This cyber-attack comprises a grave danger to our public security. The attack was deliberately carried out and sophisticatedly coordinated. It was performed by utilizing high-tech digital devices. The attackers were successful in catching the government unprepared and off guard," Biden added.

Biden asserted that the attack was having the hallmark of Russian cyber operations and the Trump government should hold them accountable for it. His comments came after President Trump minimized the hack and inquired whether Russia was behind it after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo credited the hack to Moscow. 

None of the U.S. officials stated that Beijing was answerable for the hack. On Monday, Attorney General William Barr had stated that Russia seemed to be behind the cyber attack, favoring Pompeo and opposing Trump. 

On Tuesday, Biden said that when he takes office would react after evaluating the harm caused by the attack; however, he declined to talk about particular response options. He wishes that the United States and its allies concede to global standards of mindfully conduct cyberspace, Biden added. 

The hackers violated the third party IT contractor SolarWinds and advanced into some administration networks, including those of the Commerce and Treasury offices. The cyber breach dates back to several months and was uncovered in the press seven days ago.

Biden said a week ago that his team had been informed on the hack via authorities, but the Defense Department has retained data about various issues. 

The U.S. Administration has not made a formal evaluation of who was behind the cyberattack, yet both Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that all signs point towards Russia. 

However, Trump, who has since long avoided censuring Moscow for its incitements, hinted towards China for the attack.

As per officials, the cyber breach began in July, but experts believe that the hacking started months earlier. A malicious code was slipped into updates to mainstream programming that monitors PC networks of the government.