The United States Halts Cyberattacks Against Russia Amid Diplomatic Efforts to End the War in Ukraine

Reports indicate that the United States has decided to suspend its offensive cyber operations against Russia as part of the former Trump administration’s efforts to offer concessions to Moscow in an attempt to bring it to the negotiating table regarding the war in Ukraine.

According to “TechCrunch,” the decision was authorized by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and directly affects operations carried out by U.S. Cyber Command, a division of the Department of Defense responsible for cyberattacks and electronic operations. However, the directive does not apply to espionage activities conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA).

The order was reportedly issued ahead of a White House meeting between former President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to “The New York Times,” this decision is part of a broader strategy to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in negotiations over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Additionally, “The Guardian” reported that the Trump administration no longer considers Russian hackers a primary cybersecurity threat and has directed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) not to report Russian cyber threats. A recent memo outlined new priorities for CISA, focusing on threats from China and protecting domestic systems, while omitting any mention of Russia. Reports suggest that CISA staff were verbally instructed to cease all work related to Russian cyber threats.

However, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, denied that these directives came from the Trump administration. She emphasized that CISA remains committed to addressing all cybersecurity threats to the United States’ critical infrastructure, including those originating from Russia.

This shift in U.S. cyber policy comes despite an annual intelligence assessment warning that Russia continues to pose an ongoing cyber threat to the United States. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reportedly persists in targeting U.S. government agencies and critical infrastructure, such as undersea cables and industrial control systems.

In recent years, the U.S. government has taken strong measures against Russian cybercriminals, successfully dismantling ransomware networks linked to Russia, recovering millions of dollars in ransom payments, and imposing sanctions on some of the most notorious Russian hackers.