This week, Anne Neuberger, US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber, is visiting NATO headquarters to help the allies prepare for possible Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine and the West. She will also meet with Baltic and Polish officials responsible for cyber defence.
According to the US intelligence assessments, an invasion of Ukraine would almost certainly be preceded by cyberattacks on Ukraine’s key functions, including its electric grid, communications system, and government websites.
“We’ve been warning for weeks and months, both publicly and privately, that cyberattacks could be part of a broad-based Russian effort to destabilise and further invade Ukraine,” Neuberger told reporters on Wednesday.
“The Russians understand that disabling or destroying critical infrastructure can augment pressure on a country’s government, military, and population, and accelerate their ceding to Russian objectives,” she added.
In the past decade, Russia has repeatedly used cyber as part of their “force projection”, according to Neuberger. In January, hackers brought down dozens of government websites in Ukraine.
After visiting NATO headquarters, the US deputy adviser will travel to Poland, where she will meet with Baltic officials responsible for cyber defence.
“Russia has used cyber as a key component of their force […]. So this is a proactive trip both to talk about improving resilience […] and to highlight overall NATO’s commitment to NATO member’s cyber resilience in that way,” she said.
“The reason for the specific discussions with Poland and the Baltic countries is because those countries are the eastern flank [of NATO],” Neuberger added. “We recognise they may be having some concerns at this time.”
According to the New York Times, the US government has been quietly sending teams into Ukraine in recent weeks to help shore up the country’s cyber defence. It is also preparing to do the same with NATO countries on the alliance’s eastern flank.
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