(NewsNation Now) — As concerns over cyberwarfare intensify, an expert says the United States is years behind its adversaries.
U.S. Cyber Command was founded in 2010 to coordinate America’s operations in cyberspace. But ReachOut Technology founder and CEO Rick Jordan said the U.S. was already late to the party.
It “was probably about a decade behind where China even was. So at this point, we’re still playing catch up,” Jordan said on NewsNation’s “The Donlon Report.”
Cyberwarfare can be demoralizing to its target because it is so disruptive to daily life. As the U.S. saw last year, everything from hospital systems to oil pipelines can be hit.
“This is even worse than nuclear warfare, in my opinion,” Jordan said.
Ukraine has been hammered by digital intrusions and denial-of-service attacks both in the run-up to and during the Russian invasion.
Thursday, the Ukrainian government called for volunteers from the country’s hacker underground to help protect critical infrastructure and cyber-spy on Russian troops. It’s a beckon that mirrors President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to bear arms Wednesday — a hope that civilians can make up for Ukraine’s military shortcomings.
But Russia has long been a safe haven for cyber criminals, and Jordan says they take pride in the havoc they cause.
“In Russia, there’s private citizens stepping up, saying, ‘hey, we’re gonna do our part for Mother Russia and go attack the Ukraine,’” Jordan said. “Would the U.S. do the same? I have no idea. Would Microsoft step up and say we’ll fight on behalf of America? These are interesting times we are seeing.”
The private group he speaks of his called Conti — a Russia-based cybercrime group known for using ransomware to extort millions of dollars from U.S. and European companies. On Friday, they vowed to attack enemies of the Kremlin if they respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is significant because although the Biden administration has maintained the U.S.’s involvement in the European conflict will be limited to supporting NATO, he has also vowed the United States and its allies are prepared to respond to Russian cyberattacks depending on the severity.
Jordan sees that as proof a cyber clash is inevitable.
“We should be prepared for something like this right now,” Jordan said. According to the tech entrepreneur, the people who should be the most worried are small business owners and cybersecurity providers like himself who “have the keys to the kingdom of a lot of the small businesses.”
Even still, Jordan, who has been to the White House and advised administrations in the past, says he’s seen the tenacity that the U.S. has, and believes they can make up ground in this fight.
“There’s one thing I know that cannot be broken, and that’s the spirit of the American people. We’ll still win.”
