Russia could unleash disruptive cyberattacks against the US – but efforts to sow confusion and division are more likely

The Department of Justice indicted six officers of Russia's GRU military intelligence service in October 2020 on charges of hacking and deploying malware. Andrew Harnik - Pool/Getty Images

As tensions mount between Russia and the West over Ukraine, the threat of Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. increases. The Department of Homeland Security issued an intelligence bulletin on Jan. 23, 2022, warning that Russia has the capability to carry out a range of attacks, from denial-of-service attacks on websites to disrupting critical infrastructure like power grids.

“We assess that Russia would consider initiating a cyber attack against the Homeland if it perceived a US or NATO response to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine threatened its long-term national security,” the DHS stated in the bulletin, which it sent to law enforcement agencies, state and local governments, and critical infrastructure operators.