Source: United States Senator for California – Dianne Feinstein
Washington–Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) joined Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and group of their colleagues in requesting information from the Department of Homeland Security on efforts to protect the United States from Russian cyber and disinformation threats. The letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas references past Russian cyber operations – such the SolarWinds attack – as evidence of their history of engaging in malicious cyber activities that target the United States.
In addition to Senators Feinstein Rosen and Rounds, the bipartisan letter was also signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joseph Manchin (D-W.Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
“The Russian government often engages in malicious cyber activities, including espionage, intellectual property theft, disinformation, propaganda, and cyberattacks, that target the United States. In response, the United States government has imposed sanctions on Russian security personnel and agents for various cyberattacks, including the SolarWinds cyber espionage campaign, and for acts of disinformation and interference, including Russian government-directed attempts to influence U.S. elections,” wrote the senators.
“Given Russia’s history of disruptive cyber and disinformation activities, we are concerned that the United States may be targeted in retaliation for actions taken to impose costs on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine,” the senators’ letter continued. “As we stand with the Ukrainian people, impose crushing sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime, and push for additional security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself, we also must work to secure the homeland from retaliatory cyber activities.”
Full text of the letter can be found here.
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