YouTube: https://youtu.be/4bDFT8qy3nY
The US military's hacking section, Cyber Command, has confirmed that offensive cyber activities were performed in support of Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. The command claims to have carried out a wide range of actions, including offensive, defensive, and information operations.
Such public statements by US military authorities revealing cyberwarfare are rare, as the US generally seeks to cloak its military operations in secrecy.
The cyber-attack shows that the Biden administration is comfortable confronting Russia in cyberspace without fear of escalation. Some cyber-experts believe that a variety of activities, including low-level hacks into computer networks, may qualify as offensive cyber operations that the Russians do not necessarily regard as escalatory.
Despite this, officials from Biden on down have been warning for months about the possibility of retaliatory Russian cyberattacks on US infrastructure after the US and its allies slapped sweeping sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine.
While large hacking of US businesses tied to the Ukraine crisis have been few, a slew of attempted cyberattacks have been reported in Ukraine and Russia as digital vigilantes take sides in the conflict.
According to analysts, Cyber Command has progressed significantly since its beginnings more than a decade ago and is gradually becoming a vehicle of US force projection. Officials say the command dispatched people to Ukraine in December in preparation of the Russian invasion to assist Kyiv in bolstering its cyber defenses and gathering information on potential Russian hacking threats.
Previous hacking activities by the command include taking down a Russian troll farm during the 2018 US midterm elections and targeting ransomware operatives posing a threat to US institutions.
