The Illinois National Guard are Fighting the Russians…Digitally
As the world watches the sad ongoing fight between Russia and Ukraine, there's another battlefield that involves Illinois and the Russians. This one is digital, but could have equally serious implications as a real world attack.
ABC 7 out of Chicago shared an interesting interview with the digital soldiers of the Illinois National Guard. They report that Russia has attacked Illinois many times over the past several years...online.
Can you imagine the catastrophic consequences if Russian hackers were able to shut down the power grid especially during the winter months? Real attempts to adversely affect the water systems should get everyone's attention. The threat is real and it is imminent if not for the American soldiers who wage war on laptops.
Bloomberg explored what would happen if Russia was able to take down the power grid. They document how they were successful in the Ukraine 6 years ago long taking down their power before real world forces crossed the border. This is obviously more than just an Illinois problem.
The US Cyber Command is fighting a war that most of us will never see. Wikipedia mentions they've added 133 cyber teams in the past 7 years alone. The armed forces digital warrior numbers are growing, but are they growing fast enough? Let's hope.
Even though the Russian invasion of Ukraine seems far away, the consequences may someday end up affecting our every day lives in a very real way.