Tyler Cross
Published on: March 6, 2025 Senior Writer

Senior officials confirmed that the US has paused its cyber ops targeting Russia. At the same time, both countries are publicly discussing ending the Ukraine war. Though the US is pausing its ops, Russia remains the US’s #1 cybersecurity-related aggressor. Senior officials confirmed that the US is pausing ongoing and planning Russian cybersecurity ops.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded the US Cyber Command to shut down current ops. Employees with CISA reported that they were then verbally instructed to quit working on anything related to Russia.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the administration’s move to halt offensive cyber operations against Russia was an attempt by the president to ease tensions with Putin.

“Donald Trump is so desperate to earn the affection of a thug like Vladimir Putin he appears to be giving him a free pass as Russia continues to launch cyber operations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure, threatening our economic and national security,” Schumer said. “It is a critical strategic mistake for Donald Trump to unilaterally disarm against Putin.”

The US could become extremely vulnerable to Russian attacks. If cyber incidents were to ramp up, it could take several months to get vital campaigns back on track. In a world where Russia already believes that it is dominant in the cybersecurity space and capable of influencing US elections, this type of major setback could be catastrophic.

“Moscow views cyber disruptions as a foreign policy lever to shape other countries’ decisions and continuously refines and employs its espionage, influence, and attack capabilities against a variety of targets,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in its 2024 threat assessment. “Russia maintains its ability to target critical infrastructure, including underwater cables and industrial control systems, in the United States as well as in allied and partner countries.”