NATO countries are fighting a “hidden cyberwar” against Russia, says Liz Kendall

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said NATO countries were engaged in a “hidden cyberwar” with Russia.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, will warn in a major speech next week that Russia is ready to launch a series of cyber attacks on Britain and other NATO members in a bid to undermine support for Ukraine.

McFadden will say Moscow “won’t think twice” about using defense gaps to attack British businesses and allies must not “underestimate” the threat it poses.

Speaking to the Trevor Phillips program on Sky News’ Sunday Morning, Ms Kendall said her colleague was right when she said “not only an open military war with Russia as the aggressor, but also a covert cyber war and Russia will do everything in its power destabilizing not only in Ukraine, but among NATO allies.”

She added: “So we need to be absolutely vigilant as a government, but also businesses and wider society, to protect ourselves from cyber hacktivists.

“We have really focused for many months on ensuring that we have all the safeguards that we need, including cyber safeguards, because there is a threat from Russia, this hidden war, as well as open military aggression.”

In a speech to the NATO cyber defense conference at Lancaster House, McFadden is expected to warn that cyber interference enables Russia to “turn out the lights for millions of people” and represents the “hidden war” it is waging against Kiev first, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

He will say, “Hard military power is one thing. But cyber warfare can be destabilizing and devastating. Cyber ​​attack Russia could turn off the lights of millions of people. It can shut down power grids. This is a hidden war that Russia is waging against Ukraine.

“Given the scale of this 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 cyberspace.”

McFadden is expected to specifically call out Unit 29155, a Russian military unit that the government says has carried out a number of attacks in the UK and Europe.

There are gangs of “unofficial hacktivists” and mercenaries that do not report directly to the Kremlin, “but who are allowed to act with impunity as long as they do not act against Putin’s interests,” he will say.

The ruling came after South Korea, a NATO partner in the Indo-Pacific region, was targeted in response to its monitoring of North Korean troop deployment near Kursk, where Russia is fighting Ukraine.

The attack has been widely attributed to a pro-Kremlin cybergang, and McFadden warned that such groups operate with “disregard” for geopolitics and “just one miscalculation could wreak havoc on our networks.”

In a speech on Monday, the Cabinet Office minister is expected to set out details of how the UK will seek to strengthen its protection against emerging cyber threats, as well as how the country is stepping up cooperation with NATO allies.

He and senior national security officials will also meet with business leaders next week to discuss how they can protect themselves.