UK unmasks LockBit ransomware affiliate as high-ranking hacker in Russia state-backed cybercrime gang
TechCrunchOct 05, 2024
Speaking at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference on Monday, the UK's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, said Russia is waging a "hidden war" of cyberattacks against "a number of NATO members and partners."
He claimed Russia has targeted UK media, telecoms, political institutions, and energy infrastructure, adding that Moscow's Unit 29155 has attacked the "government services, financial services, transport systems, [and] energy and healthcare sectors of NATO members."
With the new use of artificial intelligence (AI), he further warned that Russia can turn off the lights for millions of people" in the UK, referring to its previous attacks on Ukraine's "mobile networks" and "air raid warning system."
As Putin becomes more emboldened and Ukrainian support from the US becomes uncertain, McFadden's speech is a welcome source of motivation. Moscow has already shown its willingness to attack NATO countries' infrastructure, which makes Putin's latest threats all the more serious. It's time for Europe and NATO to double down on their kinetic and cyberwarfare defenses.
Western countries are lucky Russia hasn't already targeted them, given the fact that Western special forces troops and weapons have already entered Russian territory. Pres. Putin is simply responding to months of Western talk about sending troops to Russia, not to mention their blatant green-lighting of long-range missiles being shot at Russian land. NATO is declaring war on Russia, not the other way around.