The war in Ukraine conjures images of what is occurring on the battlefield. However, there is also a silent war being waged that virtually never makes the pages of the press: The vicious cyber war.
Being waged 365 days a year, Russia, in league with China, Iran, North Korea, and bands of criminal organizations, actively is seeking to attack not only Ukraine - but the collective West. Understanding this threat, now, will allow Western leaders to proactively take steps that protect their national interests while keeping nefarious actors at bay.
Ukraine though at a great disadvantage, has proven capable of fending-off significant attacks on its national institutions, something that has given the besieged nation a great deal of "street cred" in the world of cyber security.
Though Russia has the reputation of being on the vanguard of cyber defense, the past two years of fierce Western sanctions have put Russia's national security at risk: Without the ability to download updates and patches, tremendous swaths of the Russian cyber space are now left vulnerable: Something that allows adversaries to attack them.
Jan Kallberg, PhD with the website cyberdefense.com, is a Fellow at the Army Cyber Institute at West Point; is a Senior Fellow at CEPA; and is affiliated with George Washington University in Washington, DC.
The views expressed are those of Dr. Jan Kallberg and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Army Cyber Institute at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy, or the Defense Department.
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