Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

How can countries protect themselves against cyber warfare?

How can countries protect themselves against cyber warfare?

Cybersecurity has become a top priority for governments, businesses and critical infrastructure operators, especially since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has been marked by sophisticated cyber attacks.

Cyberattacks on governmental websites were seen more recently in Taiwan when it experienced intermittent outages just before US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in the country earlier this month amid sharp warnings from China before the visit.

Up to 11 convenience stores in Taiwan were also attacked with the television screens behind cashiers abruptly displaying the words: "Warmonger Pelosi, get out of Taiwan!"

But cyberattacks do not just target state websites, they also hit critical infrastructure and even healthcare providers as well as small businesses.

IT teams are facing an uphill battle as spending on cybersecurity and the development of technology has ramped up considerably in the last decade but cyber tech has not stopped breaches from occurring. The question then arises as to why this delta exists between sophisticated technology amid a rise of cyberattacks.

“As we think about the future and where the world is actually moving, it is less from the standpoint of investment and more towards a position of effectiveness and outcome,” said Jonathan Reiber, a cybersecurity expert and former chief strategy officer for cyber policy, US secretary for defence, during the former president Barack Obama’s administration.

Reiber, who is now Vice President of Cybersecurity and Policy at the security platform AttackIQ, told Euronews Next there are several reasons why cybersecurity has become such a big topic.


Russia exploits grey space


The first is due to Russia’s increased cyber attacks on Ukraine and other countries, which have been ongoing for several years and are called “grey space operations”.

These are conducted outside of declared hostilities and are usually ransomware attacks, which deny the user access to the files on their computer and encrypt them and demand a ransom payment for their return.

“We saw a significant increase in cyberattacks in the last three years, particularly as we were putting sanctions and pressure on Russia. Russia is exploiting the grey space,” said Reiber, warning that companies and governments should prepare especially for that.

Another reason for the growing number of cyberattacks, said Reiber, is because there has been a massive increase in the commodification of ransomware as a service, meaning it is a lot easier for criminals to conduct ransomware attacks that are more highly effective.

So how can governments and companies protect themselves?

With regards to governments, Reiber advises them to prepare for contingencies with countries that could conduct a significant attack against their infrastructure.

“Russia and China are the top two from a US standpoint,” said Reiber.

As for Europe, he said it “needs to think about Russia conducting those kinds of operations,” adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin may conduct offensive cyberspace operations when he faces no other options in Ukraine.

“If he's ever on his back foot and he's really losing and he doesn't have any more to do, we might anticipate him conducting more attacks against Europe and the United States,” Reiber said.

Reiber said he worried “a little bit” about Finland and Sweden since they announced their intentions to join NATO in May, because before the war they were not as concerned about what Russia could do and so their cyber defences may not as been as strong as they are now since investment in cyber defence increased.


How to prepare against cyberattacks


Reiber said to build a strong cyber defence, you should not focus on the technology but start with “a certain kind of mindset, you have to assume that you're going to be breached in cyberspace”.

The next step is to then secure the most essential data and then have the right team to help build a cyber defence system and strategy.

After that, he said you must rigorously and constantly test your cybersecurity software to ensure it works.

“The analogy I like to use is like if you build the best navy in the world and you let it sit in port and you never took it out over a year how would you expect it to perform? That's essentially the state of cybersecurity,” he said.

However, it is not just governments that need to be aware of cyber security risks; infrastructure businesses and especially the health sector should also be aware.

“We've seen in the last few years ransomware groups based out of Russia targeting hospitals, targeting civil infrastructure, municipalities,” he said.

“In China, groups are trying to steal intellectual property from medical and research institutions some even tried to steal vaccine data during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Two Chinese hackers were indicted by the US at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 on suspicion of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research, accusations China branded at the time as “groundless claims”.

The healthcare sector is an early target for hackers, said Reiber, adding they need to ramp up their cyber defences “quite significantly”.

He warned the main problem is the lack of investment in the payment systems but more so because health services cannot afford to have their services down for long so they can serve patients and so will pay ransoms.

To avert that situation, Reiber said the key is to invest in your cyber team, prepare the technologies, develop a strategy and test it yourself.

If all that is done, he believes a company can “improve its cyber defence posture” within three to six months.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×