Trump's strategy document singles out Russia for 'offensive cyber efforts'
Washington DC [United States], Dec 19 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump's first national security strategy has singled out Russia for waging "offensive cyber efforts to influence public opinion" in other countries.
ANI
Dec 19, 2017 04:52 IST
Washington DC [United States], Dec 19 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump's first national security strategy has singled out Russia for waging "offensive cyber efforts to influence public opinion" in other countries.
Russia has been accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The White House on Monday published a 55-page document that envisions confrontations with "revisionist" powers like Russia and China, who are posing challenges to the United States and are seeking to change the global status quo, often to harm the America's interests.
"Russia uses information operations as part of its offensive cyber efforts to influence public opinion across the globe," the document states. "Its influence campaigns blend covert intelligence operations and false online personas with state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or 'trolls.'"
However, the document doesn't specify the Russian interference in the elections, but it apparently referred Russia's bid at several points.
The document also points out Moscow's attempts to "interfere" in the domestic political affairs of other countries and "undermine the legitimacy of democracies."
Despite the strategy calling Russia out for 'offensive cyber efforts', Trump didn't mention cybersecurity during his speech and said, "We will develop ways to counter those who use new domains such as cyber and social media to attack our nation or threaten our society."
President Trump's national security strategy emphasises that the U.S. "will be risk informed, but not risk averse" when considering how to respond against malicious cyber actors.
"Malicious state and non-state actors use cyberattacks for extortion, information warfare, disinformation, and more," the strategy states. "Such attacks have the capability to harm large numbers of people and institutions with comparatively minimal investment and a troubling degree of deniability. These attacks can undermine faith and confidence in democratic institutions and the global economic system."
The roll out of the national security strategy is the first major step by the Trump administration at forming a comprehensive strategy on the president's 'America First' worldview.
"We will promote a balance of power that favors the United States, our allies, and our partners," the document noted. "We will never lose sight of our values and their capacity to inspire, uplift, and renew. Most of all, we will serve the American people and uphold their right to a government that prioritizes their security, their prosperity, and their interests". (ANI)
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