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US lawmakers work to prevent cyberattacks against critical infrastructure

WASHINGTON — The war in Ukraine has heightened U.S. concerns about cyberattacks from Russia, or from other foreign countries.

Members of Congress are now looking into the government’s role in protecting our critical infrastructure from these attacks.

READ: Ukraine says potent Russian hack against power grid thwarted

Lawmakers said there needs to be more partnership with private businesses.

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Private companies control most of the critical infrastructure systems here in the U.S.

The focus of this discussion was about how the federal government can better work with the private sector regarding cyber security.

From our gas and oil pipelines to our food and water supplies, cyberattacks targeting U.S. critical infrastructure have been on the rise.

READ: US agencies: Industrial control system malware discovered

Members of Congress heard from cybersecurity experts about the effort to improve collaboration between the government and private companies.

Congress recently passed a law requiring critical infrastructure companies to report cyberattacks.

However, some lawmakers argue there is still a disconnect when it comes to private businesses.

READ: Biden warns US companies of potential Russian cyberattacks

Cybersecurity officials said they are now focused on identifying which companies are most critical.

See more in the video above.

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