Projection

Ongoing US support to Ukraine could prompt Russian cyber escalation in midterms, experts warn

With Russia continuing to face setbacks in its war against Ukraine, experts warn Russian President Vladimir Putin may escalate his cyber operations in the November midterms as retaliation for U.S. involvement in the conflict.

Recent cyberattacks against U.S. state government and airport websites that Moscow-backed hackers have claimed responsibility for may have been testing grounds for such Russian efforts to interfere in the upcoming election, posits James Turgal, vice president of cyber consultancy Optiv.

“They started out hitting the websites of those particular states as a test bed to see how it works,” said Turgal, who previously served as the executive assistant director for the FBI’s information and technology branch.

“Clearly, they’re amping up [their cyber operations] … and pressure is starting to increase,” he added.

Other experts similarly warn Russia may intensify its efforts to interfere in the American election, as a means of distracting the U.S. from assisting Ukraine or as retribution for that ongoing support.

“The Russian government likely views electoral interference and voter influence ahead of the US midterm elections as an appropriate response to the US’s defensive military support to Ukraine and to US participation in unprecedented international sanctions that have isolated Russia and heavily damaged its economy,” reads a report from cybersecurity firm Recorded Future published Thursday.

The warnings come as some officials have described Putin and the Russian military becoming “desperate” in recent weeks as the country’s forces have lost ground and momentum amid a massive Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern and eastern Ukraine.

In an address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated that nearly 65,000 Russians have been killed since the invasion began in February.

Although hesitant to put U.S. boots on the ground, the Biden administration has sent billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Ukraine since the onset of the war. The U.S. has also provided technical assistance in cyber space to Ukrainian forces.

Turgal, who argues American weapons systems are “mostly” responsible for Putin’s mounting losses in Ukraine being “so visible”, said the U.S.’s continued involvement in the war could trigger the Russian leader to ramp up his cyber arsenal and use it to interfere in the midterms.

He pointed to the recent series of cyberattacks purportedly carried out by Russian-backed hacking group Killnet as possible precursors to more sophisticated and destructive types of Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. election system.

Earlier this week, Killnet claimed responsibility for launching a series of cyberattacks aimed at more than a dozen websites of major U.S. airports.

The Atlanta and Los Angeles international airports were among the 14 airports impacted by the attack.

https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/3689912-ongoing-us-support-to-ukraine-could-prompt-russian-cyber-escalation-in-midterms-experts-warn/

So they will use hacks if they are losing! Got it