Russia’s Large, Unique Presence in the Landscape of Cyber Warfare

In current American discourse surrounding cybersecurity, we are often confronted with the idea of the Russian adversary. Whether it be botnets, malware attacks, network intrusions, or general disinformation, many are quick to pin malicious cyber activity on Russian operators. Immediately following the 2016 presidential election, Russia’s influence in the realm of cyber operations became apparent even to those not well-versed in cyber-threat analysis. But before the watershed election interference, cybersecurity experts have known not only of Russia’s deep involvement in cyber-warfare, but of the peculiar geopolitics that place Russia in a unique spot within the international cyber-landscape.