Russian invasion of Ukraine be the first ‘true’ cyber warfare

Russia conflict with Ukraine could enable hackers to take down the power grid in first full cyber warfare. Russian hackers turned out the lights in Ukraine in 2015 and 2016, and unleashed the NotPetya virus in 2017 that disabled Ukrainian government agencies.

The potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could give the world its first experience of true cyber warfare.

Ukraine was beset by attacks last month when hackers defaced and disabled more than 70 government websites, and Microsoft discovered malware planted in Ukrainian government systems that could be triggered at any moment.

While these instances raised concerns, they were only a hint of Russian cyber capabilities. In a full-scale cyber assault, Russia could take down the power grid, turn the heat off in the middle of winter, and shut down Ukraine’s military command centers and cellular communications systems.

Such a nightmare for Ukraine not only could give Russian President Vladimir Putin an avenue to victory, but also provide a sneak peek into the future of warfare. That future also holds implications for Washington if Putin launches cyber attacks against the U.S. to retaliate against any sanctions President Joe Biden may impose.

Source: Military & Aerospace Electronics