Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has put a halt to the U.S. military’s offensive cyberoperations against Russia, a move that was revealed by officials on Monday. The decision, first reported by The Record and subsequently confirmed by various news outlets such as the Associated Press, entails the suspension of “offensive cyberoperations” conducted by U.S. Cyber Command. The specifics of the suspended activities remain unclear; however, offensive cyberoperations generally encompass activities such as industrial espionage, intelligence collection, dissemination of disinformation, and the disruption of critical infrastructure like power grids, water systems, or medical facilities.
It is noteworthy that this directive does not impact the operations of other agencies like the CIA or the National Security Agency, which have their independent programs targeting Russia based on their respective areas of specialization. This shift in policy comes on the heels of the dismantling of an FBI initiative designed to monitor election interference and the suspension of personnel engaged in election security matters at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Despite these developments, some officials and experts in the field of information assert that the U.S. should be enhancing its capacity to engage in information warfare rather than scaling it back.
During his confirmation hearings, CIA Director John Ratcliffe emphasized the importance of cyberespionage as a pivotal component of contemporary warfare, expressing his desire for the United States to possess a comprehensive arsenal of tools to proactively combat adversaries in the realm of cyber warfare. Ratcliffe stated, “I want us to have all of the tools necessary to go on the offensive against our adversaries in the cyber domain.” As of now, the White House has chosen not to comment on the Defense Department’s decision.
