Homeland Security warns that Russia could launch cyberattack against US - USA TODAY

“The crisis in Ukraine has already proven to be a catalyst for additional aggressive cyber activity that will likely increase as the situation deteriorates,” wrote John Hultquist, vice president of threat intelligence for Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm that provides services to private enterprises, governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Paul Rosenzweig, a former senior Homeland Security official, said the DHS Intelligence and Analysis bulletin underscores how even U.S.

In its memo, DHS said Russian government cyber actors have spent years targeting and gaining access to critical infrastructure in the United States.

"Separately, Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have successfully compromised routers, globally, and U.S.

intelligence officials believe that Russia's threshold for conducting disruptive or destructive cyber attacks in the homeland "probably remains very high," in part because Moscow hasn't engaged in such confrontational behavior in the past.

In a statement issued late Monday, a Department of Homeland Security official declined to elaborate on the intelligence bulletin, but said that DHS regularly shares threat information with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial officials and the private sector to help ensure their safety and security. .

"We have increased operational partnerships between private sector companies and the federal government to strengthen our nation’s cyber defenses, including through CISA’s newly established Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative," or JCDC, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details.

 "The JCDC brings these partners together to help us understand the full threat landscape and enable real-time collaboration to empower our private sector partners to gain information and take action against the most significant threats to the nation.”.

government is worried about Russian cyberattacks, even as Washington says it's ready to deploy military and intelligence assets to the region in anticipation of a Kremlin military incursion.

11 in an effort to prepare state, local and private sector officials of Russian cyberattack capabilities, including “commonly observed tactics, techniques, and procedures.” It also included detailed instructions on how potential victims could response to such cyberattacks and reduce their exposure.

15, the Homeland Security cyber agency sent out another report with the ominous title, “Preparing For and Mitigating Potential Cyber Threats” that warned of sophisticated threat actors, including nation-states like Russia and their proxies, that have proven their ability to compromise U.S.

And Russian military intelligence assets have launched devastating cyberattacks against Ukraine's power grid for years, succeeding in shutting down elements of it and knocking out power to millions of people