MICHIGAN, USA — As Russian troops continue to move into Ukraine, economic sanctions have been the West's response as punishment and condemnation. Russian cyberattacks have been a tool of Putin's Military in the past, and they're likely to be used as retaliation for those sanctions now.
"He warned Europe and the US that any interference will have consequences that you have never seen," said Michael McDaniel, a retired Brigadier General and professor at WMU's Cooley Law School. "I think that’s pretty clear that he’s referring to a cyber attack of some sort."
McDaniel calls Russia's military a mix of old school and new age tactics. He said in Ukraine, they are likely to 'soften the battlefield' with targeted cyber attacks on the Ukrainian forces communications and command systems, similar to what was seen in the annexation of Crimea, and what was attempted in Russia's failed attempt to annex Georgia.
As far as what may happen to the United States, McDaniel says a targeted cyber attack is likely. He believes it will serve as a show of force, but won't target military bases or personnel. "Attempts to trespass into systems in the united states have impacted electrical systems and water systems the most," McDaniel said.
He believes a cyber attack is more likely to impact civilian infrastructure, specifically through power grids, IT systems or water systems. He says our dependence on remotely controlled gates in power and water infrastructure makes the US vulnerable to this new-age warfare tactic.
Though McDaniel referenced previous attempts to interfere with banking and communications in the US, he says homeland security will is more likely to defend against that and intercept it. It's also important to point out that he says it's not time to panic. 13 ON YOUR SIDE asked if people should start buying bottled water, or worry about the safety or their password-protected accounts. He said no without hesitation.
"Go about our day to day," He said. "But we need some awareness. If all the sudden the power goes out its no time to panic, this is Michigan, it could be the weather, or it could be an external rolling attack."
Even though McDaniel says there's no cause for panic, if you're concerned about security, change your passwords to something strong. You can test password strength with this link which takes you to the FTC's website.
If you get a message from an account you don't recognize, or an email or text with mysterious links, do not click on them, and report them through the proper agency, which you can find at USA.gov/online-safety.
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