US is thinking of a possible cyber strike against the Kremlin

The US Government is thinking of a possible cyber strike against the Kremlin in response to the alleged interference with the 2016 presidential election.

A few days ago the US Government has formally accused the Russian Government of trying to interfere in the 2016 Political Election.

Washington is officially accusing Russia trying to interfere the 2016 US presidential election, announcing it will adopt all necessary countermeasures to defeat the threat.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security have issued a joint security statement to accuse the Russian government of a series of intrusions into the networks of US organizations and state election boards involved in the Presidential Election.

“The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process” reads the statement.

“We will take action to protect our interests, including in cyberspace, and we will do so at a time and place of our choosing,” a senior administration official told AFP.

“The public should not assume that they will necessarily know what actions have been taken or what actions we will take.”

On Friday, the US Vice President Joe Biden during an interview with NBC explained that “message” would be sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged hacking.

“Vice President Joe Biden told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd on Friday that “we’re sending a message” to Putin and that “it will be at the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact.” reported the NBCnews.

“When asked if the American public will know a message was sent, the vice president replied, “Hope not.“”

According to NBC, the CIA was preparing a retaliatory cyber attack “designed to harass and ’embarrass’ the Kremlin leadership.”

“The Obama administration is contemplating an unprecedented cyber covert action against Russia in retaliation for alleged Russian interference in the American presidential election”

Yes, but what does it mean to think of a covert operation when diplomat shout revenge in the wild? Clearly, the US politic is using the cyber threat as deterrence for further initiatives of the Kremlin.

These statements are useless, both governments already conducting covert operations against their adversary, and history is full of examples.

According to the NBC News, the sources did not elaborate on the tactic that the CIA was considering but said the US intelligence is already selecting targets and making other preparations for a cyber operation.

Former intelligence officers explained that the CIA is likely working at a PSYOPs by gathering reams of documents that could expose “unsavory tactics” by President Vladimir Putin.

On the other side, the Russian Government denies any interference with the 2106 Presidential election, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied to the Biden’s statements saying that his Government would take precautions to protect itself from the “unpredictability and aggressiveness of the United States.”

“The threats directed against Moscow and our state’s leadership are unprecedented because they are voiced at the level of the US vice president,” reported the Russian RIA Novosti news agency.

“To the backdrop of this aggressive, unpredictable line, we must take measures to protect (our) interests, to hedge risks.”

Intelligence analysts believe that the two governments will intensify the operations in the cyberspace, the Russian diplomat Yuri Ushakov vowed Moscow would respond to any cyber attacks powered by Washington.

Ushakov declared that the Kremlin will consider any attack from the cyberspace as a “borderline insolence.”

Why Russian hackers are interfering with 2016 political elections?

According to some experts, the Kremlin aims to favor Donald Trump who has praised by Vladimir Putin. The crisis among Russia and US was exacerbated due to Crimea invasion and Russian support to the Syrian government.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – UK , Kremlin)