Louisville FBI warns of potential for Russian retaliatory cyber attack

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's FBI Branch announced Wednesday it's preparing for Russia to fight back against U.S. sanctions with cyber attacks.

Quincy Barnett, assistant special agent in charge overseeing national security for Kentucky, said there's no sign of any threats in the commonwealth right now.

"(There's an) expectation of retaliation of some sort within this country," Barnett said. "But these outreach efforts to make sure that we can put ourselves and our infrastructure and do what we can for our state, that’s just the responsible action."

His team is making contact with potential targets in the Louisville area to be better prepared.

"Taking a hard look at critical infrastructure, private sector partners, industry leaders here in Kentucky and ones that could have some kind of national impact," Barnett said.

He said part of this outreach is giving them a name and a direct phone number at the FBI to create open, quick communication.

"Being able to have a point of contact in the form of a person is important," he said. "It kind of makes that response factor that much faster."

He said Russia could attack using ransom ware, stealing information or even spreading misinformation.

"Review your security system," Barnett said. "Review your network."

If you think one of your personal devices has been hacked or is facing a possible cyber attack, there's an online portal you can submit a complaint called the Internet Crime Complaint Center.