Sam Sabin
Under Trump 2.0, everything the cybersecurity industry knew about D.C. is up for debate — even who is considered an adversarial nation.
Why it matters: For decades, U.S. presidents of both parties have viewed China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as the biggest cyber threats. But that list is now in question.
The big picture: President Trump's push to reset diplomatic ties with Russia is likely to upend long-standing cybersecurity norms, with consequences that could play out for years.
Driving the news: The U.S. Cyber Command was recently ordered to pause planning offensive cyber operations against Russia, multiple outlets reported over the weekend.A senior DoD official declined to confirm the order but told Axios, "There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, including the cyber domain."
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly drafting a plan to ease sanctions on Russia and has sent back Russian cybercriminals in prisoner swaps.
The administration has also reportedly reassigned dozens of FBI officials investigating foreign election interference — which Russia has repeatedly been accused of.
The Kremlin has celebrated these actions, saying yesterday that the new American foreign policy "largely coincides" with its own.
Yes, but: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Sunday it is still prioritizing cyber threats from Russia, despite news reports suggesting otherwise."There has been no change in our posture," the agency wrote on X. "Any reporting to the contrary is fake and undermines our national security."
Between the lines: Russia has long been a top cyber threat, hosting ransomware gangs, crypto money launderers, disinformation operations, and elite government hackers.Cyber Command has been a key tool in disrupting Russian cyber operations, from botnet takedowns to supporting Ukraine against Russian cyberattacks.
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