Experts have warned that Russian cyberattackers could target police forces, hospitals, and local governments in a massive breach that could send the United States back to the nineteenth century.

It is feared that Moscow-backed cybercriminals will target institutions in order to cause havoc across the United States.

Hugh Taylor, a cybersecurity expert, told The Sun that Washington is in a “heightened state” due to fears of an attack.

Security officials are also concerned that Moscow may launch a cyberattack in retaliation for western sanctions, which Putin has compared to a “declaration of war.”

Taylor speculated that hackers could target state police forces, local governments, and hospitals, claiming that they are under-protected.

“Perhaps they want to turn off emergency services to incite political unrest,” the cybersecurity expert speculated.

“This hasn’t happened yet, but bad actors like Russia have the potential to cause problems.”

He speculated that cybercriminals might use social engineering tactics, potentially resulting in a street brawl as different groups of society are pitted against each other.

Furthermore, geopolitical expert Brandon Weichert warned that depending on which institutions are targeted, a cyberattack could send the United States back in time to the nineteenth century.

He warned Putin that if he does not succeed on the battlefield in Ukraine, he will escalate elsewhere.

“Russia will not abandon its mission in Ukraine as long as Putin is in charge,” Weichert stated. They will fight until the end.”

Glenn S Gerstell, a cybersecurity expert, warned about Washington’s vulnerability to an attack.

“If we had approached this correctly 20 years ago, we would have been largely invulnerable to cyber-attacks,” he told The Guardian.

“But, sadly, that is not the case.”

Gerstell, who served as the National Security Agency’s general counsel, believes Russia will not “turn off the lights,” but warns that the private sector, in particular, is unprepared for attacks.

“The United States has been reactive and sidestepped cyber responsibility by simply grafting it on to existing government agencies, with each agency responsible for its own area,” he said.

Taylor, author of Digital Downfall: Technology, Cyberattacks, and the End of the American Republic, warned that the conflict in Ukraine poses a “greater risk” of sparking the world’s first cyberwar.

“People are concerned that a piece of malware launched against a company or government agency will then leak out onto the internet and begin affecting other entities, such as the NotPetya ransomware attack,” he said.

CYBER ATTACK FEARS

In June 2017, the Petya malware attacked the websites of Ukrainian businesses such as banks, newspapers, and power companies.

Infections were reported from all over the world, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Computer screens warned users that if they did not send the equivalent of $300 in bitcoin, their files and systems would be destroyed.

Cyber experts, however, discovered that the ransom demands were a ruse.

Matthieu Suiche, a text expert, speculated that the virus was motivated by political terrorism.

On Twitter, he stated: “Ransomware and hackers are increasingly being used as scapegoats by nation-state attackers. Petya is not a ransomware, but rather a wiper.”

New York City was placed on “ultra-high alert” last week, but cops have found no credible threats so far.

According to John Miller, the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism, the threat to the city’s critical infrastructure is “always high.”

‘HIGH ALERT’

Miller acknowledged that there is a “heightened threat,” but added that officials have been preparing for it.

Taylor believes that more cities in the United States will raise their cyber alert status.

He claimed that politicians want to go on record warning Americans about the grave dangers of a cyberattack.

“I think they want to say ‘This is an important thing to pay attention to,'” Taylor explained, “and they don’t want someone later saying ‘How come you didn’t warn us?”

According to NBC News, as the war in Ukraine rages on, Biden has reportedly been presented with options for disrupting Russia’s military capability.

According to sources, options include shutting down electricity, tampering with railroad switches, and disrupting internet service.

An official said: “Our response will be harsh and measured, but not so severe as to encourage Putin to take more drastic steps.”