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In support of Ukraine, the US military’s hacking unit Cyber Command has conducted offensive cyber operations, its head of command has confirmed.
In support of Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian cyber attacks, US Cyber Command chief General Paul Nakasone disclosed the cyber operations.
"We've conducted a series of operations across the full spectrum; offensive, defensive, [and] information operations.
"A spokesperson for the command did not dispute the accuracy of the article but declined to elaborate on what the command's operations in Ukraine have entailed," General Nakasone said in the Sky News interview.
According to a CNN report, public acknowledgment from US military officials of hacking operations is rare, and also emphasises the importance of projecting power in cyber space.
As long as the US and its allies aren't attacked, President Joe Biden has pledged not to engage directly with Russia militarily during the Ukraine war. The White House's response to General Nakasone's comments reveal that cyber space is a domain that the "Biden administration feels comfortable countering Russia without fear of escalation".
At a news conference, Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary, did not disprove General Nakasone's comments on Sky News, or deny Cyber Command's actions.
"We don't see it as such," Jean-Pierre said at the press conference.
Since its inception over a decade ago, Cyber Command has matured considerably and has increasingly become a tool of US power projection security analysts have noted.
From a cyber and national security law perspective, Bobby Chesney, an associate dean at the University of Texas School of Law, explained that there have been a range of activities, including low-level intrusions into computer networks, which may qualify as "offensive" cyber operations that the Russians may not necessarily interpret as escalatory.
According to a Washington Post report, Cyber Command's previous hacking operations have included knocking a Russian troll farm offline during the 2018 US midterm elections and targeting ransomware operatives who threaten US organisations.
[Related: New ‘earn as you learn’ program set to fast-track 1.2k cyber security careers]
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