Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Sunday that “cyber assaults can be a part of a wide-based totally Russian effort to enhance in Ukraine” and emphasized that the U.S. is working alongside Ukraine “to harden their defenses.”

“We’re also coordinating with the non-public sector firms like Microsoft, both in Ukraine and right here in the US, in case there are potential cyber attacks that unfold within the coming months right here,” Sullivan advised Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan. “After all, it’s conceivable that Russia may habits a series of cyberattacks. That’s a part of their playbook. They’ve performed it in the past in different contexts.”

Sullivan’s feedback come in the wake of Microsoft discovering “damaging malware” in a position to wiping information at multiple firms in Ukraine.

Sullivan has not attributed the assault to Russia, pronouncing the U.S. remains to be “working onerous on attribution, and we will do the whole thing we will to defend and protect networks in opposition to the type of destructive malware that Microsoft flagged.” However, Ukraine says it has “proof” Russia was once in the back of the assaults.

“All of the proof factors to Russia being at the back of the cyber-attack,” the Ukrainian digital transformation ministry stated in a remark Sunday. “Moscow is continuing to wage a hybrid war.”

Russia denied involvement and lambasted Ukrainians for “blaming the whole thing on Russia, even their unhealthy climate in their country.”

“We’ve nothing to do with it. Russia has nothing to do with these cyber-attacks,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed CNN.

The cyber assaults come amid heightened issues that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine, as Russia continues to position troops and military equipment on the boarder. Past this week, CNN said that the U.S. has evidence Russia is getting ready a false flag operation that would “create a pretext for an invasion.”

Brennan pressed Sullivan, asking: “Why wouldn’t this draw U.S. sanctions? Why are you waiting for Vladimir Putin to go further and in truth cross the border? Aren’t we already in the course of a warfare?”

“As I mentioned, this is part of the Russian playbook, so it would not shock me one bit if it ends up being attributed to Russia,” Sullivan stated. “But let’s do first issues first, let’s get attribution after which make a resolution about what we do next.”

“When it comes to sanctions, what we have laid out is an extraordinarily clear message to the Russians — and we’ve performed so in concert and in unison with our allies — that in the event that they do further invade Ukraine, there will be extreme economic penalties and a cost to pay,” Sullivan continued. “And sure, in fact, if it turns out that Russia is pummeling Ukraine with cyberattacks, and if that continues over the duration ahead, we will work with our allies on the best response.”

Watch above, by means of CBS’ Face the Nation.

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