The US has suspended operations and planning for offensive cyber operations against Russia, a senior US official told CNN. The suspension is “a major blow,” the official said, especially since planning for such operations takes time and research to carry out.
The concern, the official said, is that the pause on offensive cyber operations against Russia will make the US more vulnerable to potential cyberattacks from Moscow, which has a formidable cadre of hackers capable of disrupting US critical infrastructure and collecting sensitive intelligence.
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Source: MSN News
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