On the same day Robert Mueller returned indictments against a slew of Russian agents, America’s top intelligence officer said the “warning signs are blinking red again” for more election-related hacks. Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence told members of a Washington think tank that the cyberattacks were similar to warnings the U.S. received on terror threats before 9/11. From The New York Times:
- “The warning lights are blinking red again,” Mr. Coats said as he cautioned of cyberthreats. “Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack.”
- Coming just days ahead of President Trump’s meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mr. Coats’s comments demonstrate the persistent divisions within the administration on Russia — and on how hard a line senior administration officials should take with Moscow on its cyberspace activities.
The warnings from Coats and the intelligence community are in stark contrast to actions by the White House where Donald Trump has been trying to buddy-up with Putin. From The Times:
- “Mr. Coats also expressed frustration with cyberspace strategies that emphasize only defense, and not offense as well.
- “Evoking President Ronald Reagan’s Cold War approach to the Soviet Union, Mr. Coats suggested that if Russia continued to try to take on the United States in the cyberarena, then the administration should “throw everything we have got into it.”
The odds of that happening with this White House are slim to none. Some Democrats are calling for the summit on Monday to be cancelled because of the indictments handed down today. Republicans were silent.
Democrats urge Trump to cancel Putin summit following Mueller indictments https://t.co/rnXEJ3OAbM pic.twitter.com/NLLtz404Om
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 14, 2018
Coats said the hacking isn’t just about elections. The Russians are knee deep in exploring the vulnerabilities to America’s manufacturing, nuclear power, energy and water sectors. Knowing all this, please pay close attention to Trump’s actions in Helsinki. Glad-handing with the Russians is nothing more than tacit approval for their behavior.