government-information-control

This chapter details the emergence of the Sandworm hacking group and its unprecedented cyberattack on Ukraine's power grid in late 2015, marking a new era of cyberwarfare that crossed from digital intrusion to physical sabotage. Despite clear evidence of the attack's severity and implications for U.S. infrastructure, government agencies initially downplayed the threat and withheld public warnings, missing a critical opportunity to establish international norms and deterrence against cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure. The chapter contrasts the muted response to Sandworm with the decisive public condemnation and retaliation following North Korea's 2014 Sony hack, highlighting political and bureaucratic challenges in addressing state-sponsored cyberwarfare.