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27 November 2024

As government warns of cyber war with Russia, what are cyber attacks?

Ellen Manning

Nato countries including the UK are involved in a “hidden cyber war” with Russia, the government has warned, ahead of a speech set to warn that Vladimir Putin is prepared to launch a series of cyber attacks as it seeks to weaken support for Ukraine.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall called for vigilance amid the threat of cyber war with Russia, saying: "We have to be absolutely vigilant in that as a government, but also in businesses and wider society to protect against those cyber hacktivists."

Her comments on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme come ahead of a major speech by chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden this week, in which he is set to say Moscow will “not think twice” about exploiting defence gaps to target UK businesses.

In a speech to the Nato cyber defence conference at Lancaster House, McFadden is expected to warn that cyber interference enables Russia to “turn the lights off for millions of people” and represents the “hidden war” it is waging against Ukraine.

He will say: "Given the scale of that hostility, my message to members today is clear: no-one should underestimate the Russian cyber threat to Nato. The threat is real. Russia is exceptionally aggressive and reckless in the cyber realm.”

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