The US launched an offensive cyberattack against Russia to preserve the American people’s privacy, security and the democratic system, according to a recent claim by President Trump. Although there had been rumors and speculation surrounding the incident before, this marks the first time the President has confirmed that this particular defensive measure had taken place.

In 2016, Russian troll farms meddled in the US presidential election by circulating fake news online. These trolls would masquerade as Americans and would post misleading information to deceive the American people and start arguments, covering racial and societal topics. Furthermore, Russian interference became such a heated subject that it eventually resulted in a special investigation to probe the various conspiracy allegations.

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In an article published by the The Washington Post, President Trump admitted that in 2018, he authorized a cyberattack against Russian trolls to prevent interference in the midterm elections and to ensure there was no confusion over the results. Furthermore, this cyberattack was part of the first offensive measure against Russian meddling used by the United States Cyber Command, also known as Cybercom.

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In 2018’s version of the National Cyber Strategy, the White House’s plan to counter malicious entities included sanctions, and briefly mentions that the Federal Government will provide threat and asset response to protect the election infrastructure. Furthermore, the document also acknowledges that Russia has taken part in digital warfare with goals including, undermining and disrupting the American democratic system. Before the President revealed that the US attacked Russia, the offensive operation was unverified, and the White House and Pentagon kept this measure classified.

Despite this, some US officials anonymously shared information about the attack on the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg, Russia. Essentially, the cyberattack made sure the Internet Research Agency was offline during the midterm elections. In addition, the US continued the attacks a few days later, to ensure the Russian trolls could not generate confusion over the election's results or launch more misinformation campaigns. Some offensive tactics consisted of sending direct messages to the malicious entities claiming the US knew their real identities, which caused the Russians to launch an internal investigation over leak fears.

The President’s statement on the matter had the intended purpose of bolstering his reputation on protecting the democratic process, while also providing more credit on foreign affairs. Furthermore, it also confirmed Cybercom’s capabilities and how they can counter hostile groups who attempt to hack the United States. In fact, it is an open admission that the US is capable of retaliating against these threats on a digital field. Arguably, people can credit the United States as being in defense mode, considering social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, have also been making efforts to crack down on misinformation campaigns. Regardless, Trump’s confirmation shows that Cybercom is capable of exercising offensive measures to maintain privacy and security, thanks to the new authorities Congress and the President granted back in 2018.

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Source: Washington Post