Cyberwarfare between Russia and Ukraine began well before the first bullets were fired, a cybersecurity expert and former senior CIA official told Fox News.
He also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could launch cyberattacks against America’s supply chain in response to economic sanctions.
"Amidst all the attention on the massive conventional war that's taking place in Ukraine, a cyberwar started before the conventional attack," said Paul Kolbe, the Intelligence Project director at Harvard’s Belfer Center. "It would be still taking place now."
Russian attacks on Ukrainian cyber infrastructure and systems so far have fallen short of what President Vladimir Putin expected, a cyberwarfare expert told Fox News. (Associated Press)
Tuesday marked the sixth day since Russia invaded Ukraine.
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The Russians view the sanctions "as a form of what they term ‘economic warfare,'" Kolbe told Fox News. "They certainly are in a position to launch cyberattacks on targets you might expect and targets you might not expect."
"I'd be particularly wary of attacks on targets that might affect supply chain vulnerabilities," he continued.
"I'd be particularly wary of attacks on targets that might affect supply chain vulnerabilities."
Russian attacks on Ukrainian cyber infrastructure and systems so far have fallen short of what Putin expected, Kolbe told Fox News.
"Case in point, Ukraine's air defense systems remained online and were countering Russian aviation attacks, helicopter gunship attacks," he said. "The fact that they weren't able to bring down Ukraine's air defense system with just a cyberattack I think tells you that … it's not a perfect weapon."
A man leaves a vehicle damaged by shelling in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Associated Press)
Kolbe said Ukraine's strong pool of cyber experts has helped the country defend against Russia.
"Many Western companies, supply chains and their back office systems were run out of Ukraine," he told Fox News. "So there's a great deal of talent there."
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has faced heavy shelling and rocket fire. Earlier this week, satellite images showed a nearly 40-mile long Russian military convoy on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Paul Kolbe, Intelligence Project director, Harvard’s Belfer Center.
Kolbe said Putin's cyber and traditional warfare missteps were the result of a "massive Russian intelligence failure."
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Putin's "services did not warn him of what he was going to face in Ukraine," Kolbe told Fox News. "They provided him with misinformation and disinformation about what the actual state of play is."
Though it may be unclear if Russia is winning the cyberwar, Kolbe said it’s obvious the Ukrainians have won the messaging battle.
"They've been brilliant in their use of social media, in their use of messaging and their use of using the truth to counter disinformation," he said.