WASHINGTON – The Cyber Command of the United States armed forces carried out more than two dozen operations aimed at preventing interference in the presidential elections last November, the general who leads the force said Thursday.
General Paul Nakasone, in prepared statements to the Senate Armed Services Committee, did not describe the operations, so it was not immediately clear whether those efforts were aimed strictly at defending the United States against intrusions or offensive measures against intruders. He said his command’s operations were designed “to anticipate foreign threats before they interfere with our elections in 2020.”
A US intelligence assessment released this week said that neither Russia nor any other country tampered with votes or carried out cyberattacks that affected the outcome of the vote.
Nakasone’s appearance before the commission comes as the United States grapples with major cyber intrusions, including one by Russian hackers who exploited vulnerabilities in the supply chain to gain access to federal agencies and private companies.
Nakasone said Cyber Command and the NSA are helping plan the Biden administration’s response to the SolarWinds intrusion and that “a number of options are being considered, including costs that could be imposed on other elements of our government.”
Separately, the United States is responding to an intrusion that affected thousands of users of Microsoft’s server software.