Recent incidents indicate US is no longer characterizing Russia as a cybersecurity threat, marking a radical departure: ‘Putin is on the inside now’

Summary

The Trump administration has downplayed Russia as a cybersecurity threat, diverging from past U.S. intelligence assessments.

A recent State Department speech omitted Russia from its list of cyber threats, focusing instead on China and Iran.

Internally, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was directed to deprioritize Russian cyber threats. Experts warn this shift weakens U.S. security, while allies continue to highlight Russia’s cyber activities.

The policy change aligns with Trump’s efforts to improve U.S.-Russia relations, raising concerns about national security vulnerabilities.