The Division of Homeland Safety has been designated because the lead federal company managing the home response to the Russia-Ukraine disaster within the wake of warnings about potential cyberattacks on the US and ongoing disinformation campaigns.
As a part of the trouble, DHS has arrange a gaggle to observe Russian exercise and coordinate amongst federal businesses, based on DHS.
The brand new group, to be led by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company government director, Brandon Wales, will work throughout the federal authorities to organize for and reply to potential threats to the US.
“Whereas there are not any particular threats to the homeland at the moment, DHS is taking applicable steps to make sure Federal efforts are coordinated ought to the necessity come up,” the company mentioned in an announcement.
DHS has beforehand arrange comparable teams in moments of disaster. Final yr, for instance, DHS established a so-called Unified Coordination Group following the evacuation out of Afghanistan.
Among the many present considerations held by homeland safety officers is potential cyberattacks.
On Thursday: President Biden mentioned the US is “ready to reply,” if Russia pursues cyberattacks towards US firms or essential infrastructure.
For months, the US has been working intently with the personal sector to “harden our cyber defenses” and “sharpen our means to reply to Russian cyberattacks,” Biden mentioned.
In a PBS interview earlier this week, Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas mentioned, although there isn’t a info to recommend a particular, credible cyber menace towards the US homeland, “it’s our duty to be ready.”
“[W]e’ve been disseminating info, offering sources to the personal sector for over two months now, as soon as the prospect of a Russian assault towards Ukraine materialized,” he mentioned, when pressed on whether or not sanctions might set off a cyberattack.
Final month: CNN reported that Russia would contemplate conducting a cyberattack on the US homeland if Moscow perceived {that a} US or NATO response to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine “threatened [Russia’s] long-term nationwide safety,” based on a DHS intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN.
The Russian battle might additionally have an effect on the unfold of misinformation and disinformation within the US.
DHS intelligence chief John Cohen mentioned that escalated tensions between Russia and Ukraine have the potential to exacerbate the menace setting within the US, notably because it pertains to Russian disinformation campaigns and “Lively Measure methods,” referring to long-standing political warfare strategies utilized by Russia.
Russia has maintained a “sustained degree of exercise” associated to disinformation campaigns and affect operations within the US, based on Cohen, who spoke earlier this month at a George Washington College Program on Extremism occasion.
Beforehand, Russia’s affect operations centered totally on selling narratives related to Covid-19, the 2020 election and points referring to immigration and race within the US.
As stress with Ukraine spiked, DHS noticed a rise within the Russian promotion of narratives attempting to put the blame for the Ukraine disaster “on the toes of the US,” he mentioned.
