Lessons and warnings from world’s first all-out cyberwar

This is the first in a multi-part series.

As Russian tanks began rolling and bombs started falling in Ukraine in February 2022, Europe bore witness to the largest conflict on European soil since World War II. But Russia’s invasion hasn’t been limited to traditional physical operations; it’s also marked the start of the first all-out cyberwar.

It is important for the West to quickly study the lessons learned so far from this cyberwar between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, it is crucial to help the Ukrainians expand their capabilities on the cyber front, just as military assistance is needed on the physical battlefield.

By applying these lessons, the West can strengthen its cyber defenses and better prepare allies, such as Taiwan, for future cyber conflicts.

As the world became digitized and the Kremlin grew in its revisionist ambitions, Russia began using cyberattacks as a new tool to achieve its political aims. Starting in Estonia in 2007 to punish the country for what it deemed anti-Russia behavior, Russia then waged cyberattacks against Georgia to accompany its physical attack on the country.

It used Ukraine as a testing ground for cyber weapons before ultimately beginning the first all-out cyberwar against the country.

While Ukraine survived many of the most devastating attacks on critical infrastructure, the cyberwar between Israel and Iran has also shown the extremes that these attacks can take, such as the cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear power plant.

While a successful coalition of Western governments and technology companies has played a vital role in keeping Ukraine’s cyber defenses resilient, the reality is, much as it is on the physical battlefield: Without offensive support, Ukraine is limited in its ability