UK: Intelligence chief warns Russia seeks Internet targets – 03/30/2022

Jeremy Fleming, director of the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), one of the country’s top intelligence officials, said on Wednesday that Russian cyber actors were looking for targets in countries where their actions were opposed. In a speech to the Australian National University, the director noted that Russia’s persistent intent to “destabilize the Ukrainian government and military establishment” was being observed.

Fleming also warned of the dangers of non-government actors in conflict. “We have seen cyber hackers and ransomware groups being loyal to both sides,” he pointed out. According to him, the future of cyberspace requires a competitive vision, and he is more influential in the discussion of international rules and standards. “China is bringing in all the elements of state power to control cyber and fiber, control design and master technology,” he said.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, Fleming pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s misrepresentation of the situation “seems increasingly”. According to him, it is clear that Putin misjudged the opposition of the Ukrainian people. “He underestimated the strength of the coalition, encouraging his actions, and the economic consequences of the sanctions regime,” he said. In addition, the director evaluates that the Russian “exaggerated the capabilities of his army to guarantee rapid success”.

“We have seen Russian soldiers – armed and mentally ill – refusing to carry out orders, destroying their own equipment and accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” Fleming said. “We believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth.