The Trump administration has made a controversial decision to scale back its efforts to combat Russian cyber threats, according to recent reports. Memos sent to the US Cyber Command have instructed cybersecurity staff to cease operations targeting Russian hackers, signaling a significant shift in US cybersecurity policy.
The order came from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who directed Cyber Command to halt any operations aimed at countering Russian cyber activities. While the specific duration of the halt remains unclear, sources suggest that the directive is part of a broader shift in US military and intelligence strategy regarding Russia. Notably, there were no corresponding instructions for the National Security Agency (NSA), which remains authorized to continue gathering intelligence on Russian targets.
President Donald Trump has previously made controversial statements aligning himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including downplaying Russia's role in global conflicts and even placing blame on Ukraine for the ongoing war. In a related diplomatic development, President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington last week to discuss a potential deal granting the US access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources. However, the meeting ended in a confrontation in the Oval Office and the deal was ultimately left unfinalized.
According to The Guardian, sources familiar with the matter revealed that cybersecurity analysts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) were verbally instructed to deprioritize or even cease work related to Russian threats. Previously a key focus of CISA's mandate, Russia-related cyber issues are no longer a primary priority for the agency. Instead, CISA’s new directives emphasize countering threats from China and securing domestic systems.
A person close to the situation, speaking anonymously, noted that operations involving Russian-related cybersecurity threats were effectively “nixed.”
Following the report CISA issued a formal statement saying that it continues to defend against all cyber threats to the nation's infrastructure.
“CISA’s mission is to defend against all cyber threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture,” CISA said.