“We’re just much more mature in the space of
working with our interagency partners, and
really keeping an eye down the road in terms of
how we have the biggest impact,” Vorndran said.
The FBI, he said, is now “very open to being told”
that when it comes to an adversary, ”‘You know
what, as a team member, it may not be the right
time to deploy an indictment, but it very much
may be the right time to deploy’” an action from
U.S. Cyber Command.
The evolution reflects the fact that multiple
government agencies share responsibility for,
and have unique roles in, countering a cyber
threat that has only deepened over the last
decade. The Justice Department has long
regarded indictments of foreign hackers as a
way to “name-and-shame” them and deter the
hostile governments that employ them. Other
government agencies, though, are bringing
their own powers to the table that may take
may precedence over the use of criminal
charges or been seen as imposing greater
costs or deterrence.
Cyber Command, an arm of the Defense
Department established in 2010, has grown
aggressive in its pursuit of hackers, conducting
more than two dozen operations intended to
thwart interference in the 2020 presidential
election and more recently against ransomware
gangs. The White House has shared information
about Russian hackers with the Kremlin for it to
take action on its own. Last week, Russia’s Federal
Security Service, or FSB, announced the detention
of members of the REvil ransomware gang.
The FBI itself has used actions other than
indictments. In June, it recovered the majority