WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – As tensions over Ukraine increase, the Department of Homeland Security has explicitly warned that the United States’ response to a hypothetical Russian invasion might potentially result in a cyberattack by the Russian government or its allies against the United States.
According to a DHS Intelligence and Analysis report sent out to federal law enforcement departments across the country and obtained by ABC News, if Russia believed the US or NATO response to a potential Russian military invasion of Ukraine threatened its national security, it might seriously consider launching a cyber attack against the Homeland.
According to the US, hackers based in Russia were responsible for two of the most devastating cyberattacks in recent times, last year. In May 2021, a ransomware strike broke down Colonial Pipeline’s services and caused severe disruptions across the country, while meat producer JBS had its activities knocked down due to Russian-based cybercriminals.
The US has also blamed Russia for the SolarWinds hack in late 2020, in which Russian-backed hackers allegedly obtained access to 10 US government agencies, along with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce.
Russia continues to attack and obtain access to key facilities in the U. S., according to the Department of Homeland Security, but Russia’s cyber operations are not limited to the United States.
According to the report, Russian military intelligence operatives attempted a cyberattack targeting Ukraine’s power grid in 2015 and 2016. Despite the fact that it is not mentioned in the report, Ukrainian officials recently blamed Russia for yet another cyber incident that resulted in the shutdown of government websites.
Given the geopolitical landscape, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned reporters the previous week that the US is on high alert for cyberattacks.
He told reporters at the United States Conference of Mayors on Thursday that predicting the chances of something happening is tricky, the fundamental point is that when the threat of harm occurs, we call for alertness, and in the cybersecurity arena, we ask for ever-present attention.
