{"id":35628,"date":"2022-05-05T13:59:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T13:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/05\/05\/nsa-cyber-boss-seeks-to-discourage-vigilante-hacking-against-russia\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:52:12","slug":"nsa-cyber-boss-seeks-to-discourage-vigilante-hacking-against-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/home\/2022\/05\/05\/nsa-cyber-boss-seeks-to-discourage-vigilante-hacking-against-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"NSA cyber boss seeks to discourage vigilante hacking against Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Vigilante hacking, the sort seen as Ukraine confronts another Russian invasion, is inadvisable and raises broader questions of ethics and consequences in the digital domain, according to the National Security Agency\u2019s director of cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will tell you that the idea of the civil vigilantes joining in a nation-state attack is unwise, right? I really think it is,\u201d the NSA\u2019s Rob Joyce said May 4 at a Vanderbilt University security summit<\/a>. \u201cAs you pointed out, it\u2019s illegal. But it\u2019s also unhelpful, because one of the things we talked about is we\u2019re trying to get Russia to take account for the ransomware attacks and hacks that come out of Russia and emanate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds of thousands of volunteers from across the world have reportedly coalesced around Ukraine\u2019s call for digital talent and cyber specialists, forming a so-called IT army outside typical government oversight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere will be tasks for everyone,\u201d Mykhailo Fedorov, minister of digital transformation of Ukraine, tweeted Feb. 26<\/a>, shortly after the Kremlin\u2019s war machine rolled into the country. \u201cWe continue to fight on the cyber front.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crowdsourced efforts, the efficacy of which is difficult to gauge, blur the line between traditional cyber maneuvers executed by world powers and fringe advocacy in an increasingly digital ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could also complicate negotiations and deescalation at a time of serious peril<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis certainly isn\u2019t going to make the State Department discussions with Russia of \u2018you need to hold your people accountable\u2019 any easier,\u201d Joyce said Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t