Local expert warns of cyberattacks amid U.S.-Russia tension

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Georgia service members could be affected by Russia’s invasion, whether they’re deployed or not.

Here in Augusta, the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command soldiers are already on the front lines of this battle. They’re bolstering against the possibility of Russian cyberattacks here at home.

There are several possibilities for how Russian cyberattacks could play out. Fortunately, there are ways the average person can prepare.

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“Cyber hygiene, as we call it, is your best defense against this type of ongoing issue,” said Dr. Jeffery Morris, Augusta University, School of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

It’s not the first time the U.S. has faced a Russian threat in the cyber-verse, but we could see the ripple effects.

“The Army Cyber Command is headquartered here, plus we have NSA, all of which could be potential targets,” he said.

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The problem is, it’s not something you can see right in front of you.

“Not knowing who’s doing what on either side is going to be very difficult. Typically in these types of events, you don’t know until after we’ve captured the data,” said Morris.

Fortunately, Morris says our front-line defense is a combination of the U.S. Government and cyber security industry, the best hackers in the world, that constantly run tests against our networks.

“Cyber attacks happen every day. The United States Government gets hit with millions of attacks a day. It’s not anything new. The scale might be unusual, but it is not something that we haven’t seen before,” he said.