Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. Cyber Command to stop any planning aimed at Russia, including offensive cyber operations.
This was reported on Friday by The Records, a publication that specializes in covering cybersecurity issues, citing its own sources.
It is noted that Hegseth gave the order to the head of the Cyber Command, General Timothy Haugh, who informed his subordinates of these instructions.
The order does not apply to the National Security Agency, which is also headed by Haugh, or to its intelligence activities on Russia, the sources said.
While the full scope of Hegseth’s directive remains unclear, it is another indication of White House efforts to normalize ties with Moscow after the United States and international allies worked to isolate the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine.
The order is likely to apply to the Air Force Cyber Command, the unit responsible for planning and conducting digital operations within the US European Command.
Sources said that the Cyber Command has begun to compile a “risk assessment” of the order, a report that lists halted ongoing activities or missions and details potential threats from Russia.
The implications of Hegseth’s order for the command’s personnel are still unknown.
In addition to internal problems, the order could disrupt some of the command’s most important missions, including in Ukraine.
In anticipation of a full-scale Russian invasion, the command sent “pre-emptive hunting” teams to Kyiv to strengthen Ukraine’s digital defenses.
Russia remains a bastion of cybercrime, where state and criminal actors demanding ransom strike targets around the world. The Cyber Command has become a key player in countering these activities.
In addition, the cease-and-desist order could increase risks to private sector enterprises in the United States and around the world if the command does not confront Moscow’s intelligence and military services that operate hacker groups.
Late last year, Microsoft revealed that Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service had targeted government officials and others in dozens of countries to gain access to their devices and systems.
Photo: Bloomberg
Source: Pentagon chief orders US Cyber Command to halt plans against Russia
