Biden warns cyber attacks could lead to war

The US has already warned Russia that critical infrastructure is a red line

US President Joe Biden visits the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. AP Photo / Susan Walsh

Joe Biden speaks with Christy Abizaid, director of the National Counterterrorism Centre. Reuters / Evelyn Hockstein

The Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines introduces President Joe Biden during a visit to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in McLean, the US. AP Photo / Susan Walsh

US President Joe Biden speaks with the Director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, Christine Abizaid. Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP

Biden and the Iraqi prime minister said the American combat mission in Iraq will be over by the end of the year. Photographer: Alex Edelman / CNP / Bloomberg

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday gave a warning that a significant cyber attack on his country could end up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power", highlighting what Washington views as growing threats posed by Russia and China.

Cyber security has risen to the top of the agenda for the Biden administration after a series of high-profile attacks on entities such as network management company SolarWinds, the Colonial Pipeline company, meat-processing company JBS and software company Kaseya hurt the US far beyond just the companies hacked.

Some of the attacks affected fuel and food supplies in parts of the US.

"I think it is more than likely we are going to end up, if we end up in a war – a real shooting war with a major power – it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the capabilities," Mr Biden said during a half-hour speech while visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or the ODNI.

During a June 16 summit in Geneva between Mr Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Biden shared a list of critical infrastructure the US considers off-limits to nation-state actors.

Since then, senior members of the Mr Biden administration's national security team have been in constant contact with senior members of the Kremlin over cyber attacks on the US, the White House has said.

Mr Biden also highlighted the threats posed by China, referring to President Xi Jinping as "deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world by the mid-40s, the 2040s."

During his speech to about 120 ODNI employees and senior officials, Mr Biden also thanked members of US intelligence agencies, emphasised his confidence in the work they do and said he will not exert political pressure on them. The ODNI is responsible for 17 US intelligence organisations.

"I will never politicise the work you do. You have my word on that," he said. "It is too important for our country," he said.

Mr Biden's comments offered a clear departure from remarks made by his predecessor Donald Trump, who had a contentious relationship with intelligence agencies over issues such as its assessment that Russia had interfered to help Mr Trump win the 2016 election and its role in revealing that Mr Trump had put pressure on Ukraine to investigate Mr Biden.

Mr Trump went through four permanent or acting directors of national intelligence during his four years in office.