SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
"We will impose costs on you until you get the point." (National Security Advisor John Bolton, Wall Street Journal conference, Tuesday June 11)
Since at least 2012, the United States has been injecting malware into the control systems of the Russian electricity grid, reports the New York Times.
While the campaign originally started as a reconnaissance mission, it became more aggressive under new authorities granted to United States Cyber Command.
As a result, under a "defend forward" policy,
American strategy has shifted more toward offense ... with the placement of potentially crippling malware inside the Russian system at a depth and with an aggressiveness that had never been tried before.
The new authorities can be found in two documents, the National Security Presidential Memoranda 13 (classified) and the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, in which
Congress affirms that the activities or operations referred to in subsection (a), when appropriately authorized, include the conduct of military activities or operations in cyberspace short of hostilities (as such term is used in the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148; 50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.)) or in areas in which hostilities are not occurring, including for the purpose of preparation of the environment, information operations, force protection, and deterrence of hostilities, or counterterrorism operations involving the Armed Forces of the United States.
These activities are now considered a routine matter, for which only Secretary of Defense approval is needed. With section (c) of SEC. 1632. of the Act specifying that the "clandestine military activity or operation in cyberspace shall be considered a traditional military activity", the Secretary is not even required to brief the President.
One can't help to think of a couple of other milestones targeting power networks: stuxnet (2009), the Ukraine power grid attacks of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 involving Industroyer (2016) and note that, ultimately, such attacks did not remain restricted to the original target area.
(Score: 4, Funny) by ilPapa on Monday June 17 2019, @06:42AM (5 children)
Well, fair's fair. The US injecting malware into Russian infrastructure is only payback for them injecting Trump into the White House.
Good for the goose, you know? The fat, degenerate goose.
You are still welcome on my lawn.
(Score: 5, Touché) by krishnoid on Monday June 17 2019, @07:25AM
Minor point -- since the US has been doing it since 2012, Russia would seem to be paying the US back. I can't help but be reminded of the different skills wielded by Asimov's First and Second Foundations.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Mykl on Monday June 17 2019, @07:32AM (1 child)
It also destroys any ability for the US to get pouty when another nation injects malware into US systems. It's now a free-for-all.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 17 2019, @08:41AM
Not to diminish your conclusions, but the US - and other countries - have been committing acts of sabotage against other countries for a long time. This, and Stuxnet, et al, are just adding "... with a computer" onto those types of acts.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Monday June 17 2019, @06:18PM
"Ok, ok, he's in office and ... doing things. How will you know when we've gotten the point?"
"An approval rating less than 20%. If we're feeling generous, 30%."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 17 2019, @09:22PM
Run McAfee on DC. Worth a try.