Russia escalates cyber attacks and disinformation against Western democracies
Russian intelligence has conducted cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns targeting Western democracies since 2016.
A Dutch cyber operation revealed that an intelligence agency had obtained screenshots from Jared Kushner's iPhone in 2017. A Vanity Fair publication of this disclosure has refocused attention on a broader Russian pattern.
Russian intelligence has conducted systematic cyber attacks, misinformation campaigns, and sabotage targeting Western democracies since 2016. In the US, several Russian intelligence officers were charged with hacking the Democratic Party before Trump's 2016 victory.
The UK Prime Minister has stated Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum that same year. This year, Germany blamed Russia for a drone attack on one of its airports and suspected sabotage of power grids.
Poland linked Russia to a train explosion and a shopping centre fire. UK security officials now devote more resources to countering state cyber threats than they did during the Cold War.
Why it mattersRussian cyber and disinformation operations allow Moscow to destabilise democracies without military risk. Information warfare poisons public debate and manipulates election outcomes.
AustraliaAustralian experts warn the country is not doing enough to defend against Russian cyber operations and hybrid warfare tactics that could target elections and critical infrastructure.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
