Countries that harbour cyber criminals directing ransomware attacks on critical U.S. infrastructure will be designated "state sponsor of ransomware" if new legislation planned in the Senate Intelligence Committee becomes law. Cyberattacks on US infrastructure recently has made the government to go deep into the problem. Recently senior U.S. senators planned legislation that would fight ransomware attacks on U.S. infrastructure by sanctioning countries that harbour cyber criminals, as well as by strengthening protections against attacks.

According to a copy of the bill seen by Reuters, it would require development of cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure, tighten regulation of cryptocurrency - which is often demanded as ransom - and direct the State Department and intelligence community to designate as a "state sponsor of ransomware" any country deemed to provide support for ransomware demand schemes.

The threat of ransomware attacks against U.S. infrastructure came home to Americans on the east coast when an attack against the Colonial Pipeline Co. In May led to widespread shortages at gas stations.

The Justice Department was later able to help the company recover some $2.3 million in cryptocurrency ransom it paid to hackers.

About $350 million in ransom was paid to cyber criminals in 2020, a more than 300% increase from the previous year, the department said.

President Joe Biden last month warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a major power it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the United States, highlighting what Washington sees as a growing threat posed by hackers from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

The cybersecurity Regulation 2021 requires government agencies to implement cybersecurity training, to set up and follow formal security policies, standards and practices, and to plan for and test how to respond to a security incident.