Why Vladimir Putin Wants A Deal to Prevent ‘Cyber Pearl Harbor’ From Pulling Joe Biden Into War
“When it comes to crafting the red lines of cyberwarfare, it’s important to remember that the enemy gets a vote as well, which is why some people worry that this could lead to an escalating conflict that spills out from the cyber world to the physical world,” Tatyana Bolton, policy director for R Street’s Cybersecurity & Emerging Threats team, told Newsweek. “Our critical infrastructure relies on computer systems as much as it does physical systems. The line between the digital world and the real world is quickly disappearing.”
Bolton, who served as CISA’s cyber policy lead in the Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans, also sees loss of life, or “significant physical destruction,” as the likely threshold for a U.S. response that transcends those two worlds. She acknowledged the gravity of this eventuality and supported dialogue, but she also urged an even tougher U.S. position against Russia.
“Yes, looking for additional ways to punish Russia for it’s bad behavior in the cyber realm could be risking escalation,” Bolton said. “But if we don’t face the risk of escalation, we face another, more dangerous risk-letting Russia get away with doing whatever it wants in cyberspace.”
