I think we’re ignoring a critical finding of the Mueller report and not addressing the national threat that it describes.
The Mueller report details how Russia cybermanipulated our last presidential election and continues cyberattacks on America today. Russia burglarizes our computers, plants disinformation, meddles in our polls and manipulates public opinion via hundreds of hackers, operatives in our chat rooms, bogus ads and phony websites.
Mueller verifies that these attacks are sweeping and ongoing. They are hostile acts. And if cyber intruders like Russia can interfere with our elections, they can potentially disrupt our power grids, nuclear plants and airports one day, too. It’s not far-fetched.
Yet Donald Trump has instituted no new sanctions or penalties against Russia or other cyber trespassers. Not one.
Trump has never reprimanded Russia or held it accountable for its meddling and cyber thievery – not even once. Instead, he repeatedly sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin, questions the findings of our own intelligence agencies and casts doubt on whether cyberattacks even take place.
Indeed, this president has taken no action whatsoever to strengthen our country’s cyber defenses. He’s willing to spend billions for a “wall” but apparently not one cent for better cyber defense ─ and this even though our computers are being hacked, our technology is being cyberpilfered and our elections are being cybermanipulated by other countries. It’s outrageous.
So when we vote, let’s not vote Russian! Let’s make it clear to our adversaries that we will not let them meddle in our democracy.
l hope we unite to halt foreign cyber intrusions by voting for candidates with firm action plans to strengthen cyber defenses and stand up to America’s foes. Hopefully, the majority of us will vote for cyber defense and lucid leadership, not more Putin praise.
Jim Schlagheck
Kennebunk
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