By Mark Galeotti, Director of the consultancy Mayak Intelligence, Honorary Professor at UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies.
Following recent cases of Russian-linked cyberespionage and ransomware attacks, President Joe Biden has cranked up the pressure on Vladimir Putin to act. Despite easy stereotypes that the Kremlin is behind, or at least passively sanctions every act of Russian cybercrime, though, this is actually a thorny problem for the Russian government. It is not just how far it really can police its own online space, but also whether it is willing to give up on its use of ‘patriotic hackers’ as a deniable tool of political war.
When the two presidents met in Geneva, matters cyber were high on the agenda. The Russians have long been pushing for a comprehensive cybersecurity treaty, and while this would not be a bad thing, it would take years to conclude. It is hard not to see this as a gambit by Russia at once to present itself as a ‘good guy’ and world leader, to make sure it can control or influence the terms of any international accord, and to lobby to sanctify its claims to ‘sovereign internet’ – that every country ought to be able to control what is available online within its borders. The Kremlin, after all, is more concerned with information and agitation from abroad than hacks.
Behind stereotypes: Putin’s cybercrime challengeRead More
