As Ukraine is now under attack from Russia's military since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an official military operation the, the country is also suffering from Russian cyberattacks.
Because of this, cybersecurity experts in the US are also advicing businesses and organizations to get ready for potential cyberattacks.
Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Stretches Past Military Forces
According to the story by The Atlantic, the effects of Russia's invasion has also been felt outside of Ukraine as some countries around the world are also feeling "physical disruptions" when it comes to agricultural and energy supplies.
The report also mentions what has been referred to as "digital disruptions caused by Russian cyberattacks." Per the publication, these digital disruptions may eventually reach the United States.
Former President Barack Obama's cybersecurity adviser, Michael Daniel, has noted that it is unknown if and when such attacks could. This is because these types of attacks are rather impossible to predict.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Issues Advice to Businesses and Organizations
Daniels is currently the president and CEO of the non-profit Cyber Threat Alliance.
In addition, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also gave advice for businesses and other organizations regarding certain ways to avoid digital invasion and how to respond should hackers be able to breach the company's defenses.
According to Daniel, the government of Russia, as of press time, is still unlikely to "target American digital infrastructure." Doing so has been described as a "big escalation."
However, it had been warned that American computers could still be compromised and considered collateral damage in the midst of the attacks of Russia on Ukrainian systems.
Previous Malware Attacks that Affected US Systems
An example of this is an instance that happened back in 2017 when Russian military intelligence hackers released the NotPetya malware into Ukrainian computer network, as reported in an article by Slate.
Amidst the infection, a small US hospital system was affected when it actually lost the use of every single Windows machine. Multiple other hospitals' electronic medical records went down, which caused them problems when it came to their transcription service.
Daniel noted that any company doing business in Ukraine could become vulnerable and even be considered collateral damage should a massive cyberattack occur.
Read Also: Ukraine Fights Cyberattacks Amidst Russian Invasion: Government Websites Under DDoS Attack
Despite Cyberdefenses Shoring Up, Senior Researcher Says No Match for 'Full-on, All-in Cyberattack'
According to The New York Times, American banks have also started "shoring up their cyberdefenses."
However, a senior research scholar at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation Herbert Lin, says that this will not be able to withstand a "full-on, all-in cyberattack" by a certain nation with a lot of power in the cyberspace like Russia.
Lin noted that water authorities as well as municipal power could become very vulnerable since a lot of them do not actually have money to spend when it comes to cybersecurity.
In addition, the article by The Atlantic notes that should Russia allow operations without consequences for domestic cybercriminals, foreign companies and systems with lax cybersecurity could become the next most lucrative targets, per Barrons.
Related Article: Pentagon-Linked Defense Contractors and Subcontractors Targeted by Russian Hackers, US Intelligence Says
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Written by Urian B.
