From Russia with Love (James Bond spy novel by English author Ian Fleming) To Russia with Love (The U.S. Intelligence Community): Protecting us from the catastrophe of our own making. How we vote has consequences.

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"WASHINGTON — The United States is stepping up digital incursions into Russiaʼs electric power grid in a warning to President Vladimir V. Putin and ademonstration of how the Trump administration is using new authorities todeploy cybertools more aggressively, current and former governmentofficials said.

In interviews over the past three months, the officials described thepreviously unreported deployment of American computer code insideRussiaʼs grid and other targets as a classified companion to more publiclydiscussed action directed at Moscowʼs disinformation and hacking unitsaround the 2018 midterm elections.

Advocates of the more aggressive strategy said it was long overdue, afteryears of public warnings from the Department of Homeland Security andthe F.B.I. that Russia has inserted malware that could sabotage Americanpower plants, oil and gas pipelines, or water supplies in any future conflict with the United States.” — New York Times

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"DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE —

The United States will face a complex global foreign intelligence threat environment in 2018. We assessthat the leading state intelligence threats to US interests will continue to be Russia and China, based ontheir services’ capabilities, intent, and broad operational scope. 

Other states in the Near East, SouthAsia, East Asia, and Latin America will pose local and regional intelligence threats to US interests.For example, Iranian and Cuban intelligence and security services continue to view the UnitedStates as a primary threat.

Penetrating the US national decisionmaking apparatus and the Intelligence Community will remainprimary objectives for numerous foreign intelligence entities. Additionally, the targeting of nationalsecurity information and proprietary information from US companies and research institutionsinvolved with defense, energy, finance, dual-use technology, and other areas will remain a persistentthreat to US interests.

Nonstate entities, including international terrorists and transnational organized crime groups, arelikely to continue to employ and improve their intelligence capabilities, including human, technical,and cyber means. As with state intelligence services, these nonstate entities recruit sources andperform physical and technical surveillance to facilitate their illicit activities and to avoid detectionand capture.

Trusted insiders who disclose sensitive or classified US Government information withoutauthorization will remain a significant threat in 2018 and beyond. The sophistication andavailability of information technology that increases the scope and impact of unauthorizeddisclosures exacerbate this treat.” — Director of National Intelligence (DNI)

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