Huge new risk dealing with Russia…
According to a national security source, U.S. companies and government agencies may receive cyber attacks from Russia on critical U.S. infrastructure following a warning by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sending a warning about the imminent threat of cyberattacks.
Last week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) published a warning, saying that every organization in the U.S. was “at risk from cyber threats that can disrupt essential services and potentially result in impacts to public safety.” The agency went on to encourage companies to take immediate action to protect against cyber threats referencing a string of recent malware attacks against Ukraine.
However, according to a report by Fox News, the CISA warnings had been issued because of the threat posed by Russia, adding that it was a common belief in the national security community that the soviet country had plans to launch cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure.
The warnings reveal that Russia’s recent amassing of the military alongside Ukraine’s border hasn’t gone unnoticed. These revelations also follow news that the U.S. could send thousands of additional troops to Baltic and Eastern European countries to be a deterrent to Russia. But American troops would not be entering Ukraine as they may encounter Russian forces.
But the cyberattacks could have damaging real-world consequences if last year’s Russia-linked ransomware that shut down all of U.S. meat producer JBS is anything to go by.
The Colonial Pipeline is another example of the real-world consequences of cyber attacks, as parts of the eastern U.S. had a gas shortage for days. The event was catastrophic, leading DHS to mandate owners of such pipelines strengthen their cybersecurity.
The idea Russia will be launching a series of cyberattacks before invading Ukraine isn’t ill-conceived. In 2008, ahead of Russia invading Georgia, the country launched a series of large-scale cyberattacks, which affected the Georgian government’s response, reaction, and communication during the war.
Another example of this strategy by Russia is its 2014 invasion of Ukraine, where it disrupted Ukraine’s internet as the country seized control of Crimea.
