The Central Intelligence Agency is considering a number of wide-ranging cyberattacks on Russia as payback for the Kremlin’s interfering with the U.S. election, NBC Nightly News reported Friday.
The Obama administration has asked the CIA to list its options for carrying out a “clandestine” attack on Russia — meant to deter the country from further interrupting U.S. political affairs.
The CIA has already begun to select targets and open cyberdoors in preparation for the attack.
Retired Adm. James Stavridis told NBC News a successful attack would interfere with Russia’s ability to censor domestic Internet traffic and expose the financial dealings of President Vladimir Putin and his closest associates.
“It’s well known that there’s great deal of offshore money moved outside of Russia from oligarchs,” Stavridis said. “It would be very embarrassing if that was revealed, and that would be a proportional response to what we’ve seen” in light of Russia’s attacks on the U.S.
