We are in one of those periods when it would be nice if the administration really knew what the real definition of “infrastructure” is. In spite of what’s included in the administration’s Spend–A–Palooza bill, infrastructure is not social workers, welfare payments, social engineering and searching for evidence of ‘systemic racism.’
Infrastructure is: The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Without a functioning infrastructure, you simply don’t have country. (See Haiti for details.)
The USA’s infrastructure has been under sustained and successful attack over the past few weeks and for some reason the federal government has been very low key in response. Compare the FBI’s frenzied house–to–house search for ‘insurrectionists’ with what happened after the Colonial Pipeline was shut down after a ransomware cyberattack.
The east coast suffered from gas shortages and spiking prices for what gas that could be found. We were hoping for a drone strike in response. If the FBI did anything, other than issue a news release, we can’t find any evidence. The same goes for the NSA and the exhibitionist victims at the CIA.
This week we learn the world’s largest meat producer, JBS, forced to shut all its US–based plants last Tuesday after another ransomware cyberattack. That means almost one–fourth of total US meat production has ground to a halt. No pun intended.
Attacking a nation’s supply of food and fuel was formerly viewed as an act of war that generated serious consequences. In today’s Washington, it’s just a law enforcement concern. If that.
A White House spokesman said, “JBS notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals.” Russian hackers were also implicated in the Colonial Pipeline attack.
We can’t help but wonder, but is it possible that if the media, deep–state law enforcement and the Democrat party had not spent the last four years relentlessly attacking Russia over a completely false accusation the Putin regime might be more interested in cooperating to stop these cyberattacks?
And what if Russia laughs at the snippy “responsible states” comment from the DC eunuchs?
Taxpayers spend billions each year on cyber defense and what do we have to show for it? Not much that we can see. We don’t expect Uncle Sam to insert a federal IT specialist into every corporate IT department in the country, but we do expect Uncle Sam to offer a deterrent.
Currently, ransomware attacks appear to be a punishment–free form of crime. There should be consequences for any nation that harbors gangs of these attackers.
Where are reports of Russian utility shutdowns? It seems to us that extraditing the Colonial Pipeline gang in exchange for the codes to restart Moscow’s power grid might be just the solution.
The other component that characterizes these crimes is the use of untraceable cryptocurrency to pay the ransom. An organized crime payment system that also happens to offer some investors the opportunity to bypass normal financial channels doesn’t appear to us to be much of a benefit for the nation as a whole.
Would banning crypto ransom payments solve the problem? Would imposing federal regulation on cryptocurrencies solve the problem? These are questions that need to be asked and answered.
Two can play at the cyberattack game. It’s time the USA suited up.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker's bureau. Read Michael Reagan's Reports — More Here.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)" Read Michael Shannon's Reports — More Here.