On Tuesday, intelligence officials appeared before the Senate to deliver the annual assessment of worldwide threats. A number of topics were discussed by the various officials, but on one thing they had a united message—Russia not only interfered in the 2016 election, it hasn’t stopped, and intends to work even harder to disrupt elections in 2018.
U.S. intelligence analysts believe that Russia will conduct “bolder and more disruptive cyber operations during the next year,” targeting Ukraine, NATO and the United States, the assessment says.
Expectations for this year are the same as the outcome of 2016, but more so. More pushing fake stories on social media. More stealing information from private servers and emails. Attempting to penetrate voting rolls and elections systems.
Senator Angus King (I-ME) expressed his frustration with trying to get out the message about this interference, when Donald Trump insists on treating, not just the investigation into his own campaign’s collusion with Russia, but the whole idea of Russian involvement in the election as a “witch hunt.” While the gathered heads of intelligence sympathized, they also reported that they had not been directed to do much beyond collecting information on the ongoing Russian attempts.
The most frightening aspect would seem to be that the intelligence community is expected more of the same—but not apparently considering that Russia, in its ongoing efforts, may have gained experience necessary to interfere in new and even more powerful ways.
“Persistent and disruptive cyber operations will continue against the United States and our European allies using elections as opportunities to undermine democracy,” Coats said at an annual Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats.
While intelligence on the US side has apparently been told to do nothing more than watch and wait, Russia is under no such restrictions. It’s never stopped acting, testing, probing. And considering the success it enjoyed in 2016, the idea that 2018 would look like the previous election is a hugely naive expectation.