US stops cyber operations against Russia

DW (English)

The US is pausing its offensive cyber operations against Russia – what does this mean exactly? And how does it impact people worldwide?

Transcript

00:00The U.S. is pausing its offensive cyber operations against Russia,

00:04according to officials.

00:06That means it will stop actively disrupting Russian hackers and cyber threats.

00:10The news has sent shockwaves across the globe,

00:13and especially the cybersecurity world.

00:15U.S. Democrat Chuck Schumer speaks of a free pass for Putin.

00:19And French Foreign Minister Barreau has problems understanding the decision.

00:24He says EU countries, usually allies of the U.S.,

00:27are constantly targeted by Russian attacks.

00:30What does Trump's decision mean for the rest of the world?

00:32Let's break it down.

00:34Cyberattacks can directly threaten your well-being

00:37when they target critical infrastructure, for example.

00:40They also jeopardize national security

00:42when hackers access confidential information and mess with it.

00:46Cyberattacks are a major weapon in global conflicts today.

00:49Many countries have dedicated cybersecurity agencies.

00:53Russia is constantly launching cyberattacks

00:56and spreading disinformation against the West.

00:59With the invasion of Ukraine, these efforts were ramped up massively.

01:02Russia's cyber army has been targeting Ukraine's public,

01:06financial, business, energy and media sectors.

01:08The attacks extended to NATO and European Union countries,

01:12aiming to disrupt aid to Ukraine.

01:14To be clear, the U.S. is not stopping its cyber defense programs against Russia,

01:19but it is putting a halt to its cyber offensive.

01:22That means the U.S. will still be defending itself against attacks.

01:25That's what U.S. media report.

01:27According to one source, a Pentagon official has denied those plans.

01:31Fact is, the details of the initiative remain a bit unclear.

01:35Experts fear with the U.S. no longer being a threat to Russia's cybersecurity,

01:39the country could redirect its cyber defense resources to use in attacks.

01:44Russia invests heavily in its cyber strategies

01:47and is considered one of the top three cyber superpowers,

01:50alongside the U.S. and China.

01:52So the U.S. strategy doesn't seem to make sense.

01:56Why is this all happening now?

01:59Some experts believe we're witnessing a shift in global power dynamics

02:02with the U.S. moving closer to Russia.

02:05After all, U.S. President Trump seems to be prioritizing Russian interests

02:09while trying to broker a peace deal in the Ukraine conflict.

02:12The Kremlin has welcomed the U.S. decision to pause cyber offensives.

02:16Yet Russia has been a big threat to the U.S. lately.

02:20Over the past year, ransomware attacks on U.S. hospitals,

02:23infrastructure and cities have surged.

02:26Many trace back to Russia.

02:28And Russia has been meddling in U.S. elections

02:30with orchestrated social media campaigns too.

02:33In September 2023, a declassified report exposed a top Putin aide

02:38hiring contractors for an online disinformation campaign.

02:42The aim? To weaken Western support for Ukraine.

02:45One plan, the good old USA Project, meant to sway the 2024 U.S. election.

02:50It used fake accounts and sleeper groups to spread pro-Russian messages,

02:55especially to Trump supporters.

02:57OK, but what does the U.S. move mean for people outside the U.S.?

03:02In Europe, experts are worried.

03:04They fear the U.S. initiative might stop Kremlin-linked cyber gangs

03:08from attacking the U.S. while leaving Europe exposed.

03:12In Asia, this might be viewed differently.

03:14India, for example, has rather close ties with Russia

03:18and even has joined ventures on A.I. and cyber technologies.

03:21For Latin America, fewer U.S. cyber operations against Russian cyber threats

03:26could mean more cyber attacks from Russia.

03:29Latin American countries may need to ramp up their own cyber security measures

03:34and seek new alliances to counter potential threats.

03:37That's it from me today. Bye-bye.

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