The Biden administration is warning businesses about the potential for ransomware and other cyberattacks over the Labor Day weekend.

Speaking at Thursday’s White House news briefing, Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said the federal government doesn’t have any information about specific threats.

“But what we do have is history,” she said. “And in the past over holiday weekends, attackers have sometimes focused on security operation centers that may be understaffed or a sense that there are fewer key personnel on duty as they may be on vacation. And indeed, a long weekend can sometimes make attackers feel they have extra time to navigate in a network before they are detected.”

Neuberger laid out a series of steps businesses and operators can take to protect their networks, specifically mentioning those in charge of critical infrastructure and services:

• Update and patch all software.

• Ensure employees have strong passwords and encourage key personnel to change theirs.

• Implement multi-factor authentication, particularly for key personnel and IT staff.

• Review incident response plans and conduct drills against them to ensure a quick response if a network is compromised.

• Ensure the company has up-to-date backups and that they’re segregated from networks and not accessible to attackers.

Neuberger also urged security teams to proactively hunt on their network for suspicious activity and for everyone to be vigilant for phishing emails that trick users into clicking links and sharing their passwords.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also issued an advisory this week that outlines specific steps organizations and individuals can take to raise their defenses on holidays and weekends.

Combating ransomware has been a challenge for the White House. Among the most high-profile ransomware attacks this year were ones on the Colonial Pipeline, which shut down the oil pipeline for six days, and meat processor JBS. 

The Biden administration has tried to thwart future attacks by working in coordination with other countries, focusing on the illicit use of cryptocurrency — the preferred payment method of hackers — and disrupting ransomware networks around the world, Neuberger said.

She said Thursday’s warning “reflects the administration's focus on cyber threats.”

Neuberger added that federal officials have seen a decrease in ransomware attacks recently, adding there could be a host f reasons, which she did not list.

“We're noting that trend, and we hope that that trend continues,” she said.