AND YOU SHOULD ZEALOUSLY
REPRESENT A CLIENT WITHOUT
ENDORSING THE CRIME THAT WAS
COMMITTED.
>> LET'S MOVE ON TO THE WAR
RIGHT NOW AND SPECIFICALLY
SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW AN AWFUL
LOT ABOUT, AND THAT IS
CYBERATTACKS.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING A QUESTION
THIS MORNING, WHAT HAPPENS IF
RUSSIA LAUNCHES A SIGNIFICANT
CYBERATTACK ON ANY OF OUR NATO
ALLIES OR IN THE UNITED STATES
ITSELF.
WHAT'S OUR RESPONSE?
>> I ONCE GAVE CONGRESSIONAL
TESTIMONY ON THIS WHETHER AND
WHEN A CYBERATTACK CAN
CONSTITUTE AN ACT OF WAR.
BASICALLY MOST OF THE LEGAL
ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT IF A
CYBERATTACK CAUSES LARGE-SCALE
PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR LOSS OF LIFE,
LIKE A KINETIC ATTACK, IT CAN BE
CONSIDERED AN ACT OF WAR WHICH
MAKES AN ACT OF WAR-LIKE
RESPONSE PROPORTIONATE, BUT NOT
NECESSARILY IN-KIND, AND COULD
TRIGGER OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER
NATO.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, ON A
REGULAR BASIS THERE ARE
CYBERATTACKS IN THIS COUNTRY ON
A SMALLER SCALE.
WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT.
AND THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT TO
PUT OUT THE STATEMENT YESTERDAY
ABOUT RAISING OUR DEFENSES,
BEING PREPARED, EVEN THOUGH
THERE'S NO SPECIFIC CREDIBLE
THREAT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRY TO
ANTICIPATE THE POSSIBILITY OF
THAT.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS GETTING
READY TO GO TO EUROPE, MEET WITH
NATO LEADERS, GO TO POLAND.
HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE SITUATION?
MOST STRATEGISTS SAY WHAT RUSSIA
WANTS IS UKRAINE.
AND YET, I STILL FEEL THERE'S A
CONSTANT SORT OF TRIGGERING OR
POKING AT THE U.S. TO SEE HOW
FAR THEY CAN GO, LIKE HOW -- HOW
MANY ATROCITIES THEY CAN COMMIT
BEFORE THE UNITED STATES IS
FINALLY PULLED IN.
DO YOU SEE IT THAT WAY?
>> WELL, YOU WERE TALKING
EARLIER ABOUT RED LINES, AND YOU
MADE THE POINT, WELL, HAVEN'T
THEY ALREADY CROSSED A RED LINE.
>> SO MANY.
>> HOW MUCH WORSE CAN IT GET
THAN TARGETING A STRUCTURE WITH
THE WORDS "CHILDREN" ON THE
STRUCTURE?
AND SO THIS ADMINISTRATION IS
BEING TESTED RIGHT NOW IN TERMS
OF HOW FAR WE WILL GO AND THE
MORE IMAGES WE SEE OF CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES, CIVILIAN DEATHS,
PREGNANT WOMEN DYING, THE
POLITICAL PRESSURE IS GOING TO
INCREASE TO DO MORE AND MORE.
I THINK THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
HAS BEEN VERY DISCIPLINED IN HOW
THEY APPROACH THIS, VERY
METHODICAL, VERY CAREFUL.
BUT WE'RE IN A SITUATION THAT
INCH BY INCH COULD LEAD US TO A
DIRECT MILITARY CONFRONTATION
WITH RUSSIA, SOMETHING WE
AVOIDED ALL THROUGH THE COLD
WAR.
I PREDICT THAT WE'RE GOING TO
BEGIN TO SEE CRACKS IN THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT IN THESE
PEACE TALKS.
MY INSTINCT IS THAT THOSE
ENGAGED IN THE TALKS ARE
PROBABLY MORE ANXIOUS FOR A DEAL
THAN VLADIMIR PUTIN IS.
AND MAY REACH FOR SOMETHING THAT
HE DOESN'T APPROVE.
SO THAT'S GOING TO -- HOW THAT
PLAYS OUT, I THINK, WILL BE VERY
INTERESTING.
>> WILLIE IS IN NEW YORK.
>> IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I WANT TO GO BACK QUICKLY TO
CYBERATTACKS, WE'RE TALKING
SHORTHAND ABOUT THAT.
PRESIDENT BIDEN YESTERDAY WARNED
CEOs IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO
HARDEN THEIR DEFENSES INSIDE
THEIR OWN COMPANIES.
WE JUST HEARD FROM ADMIRAL KIRBY
SAYING THE PENTAGON IS DOING THE
SAME, HASN'T SEEN ANY BREACHES
THERE.
WHAT WOULD AN EFFECTIVE
CYBERATTACK LOOK LIKE FROM
RUSSIA'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE
UNITED STATES, AND WHAT DOES THE
COUNTER LOOK LIKE?
WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES
CAPABLE OF?
WE'VE HEARD THE UNITED STATES
CAN TURN OFF THE FLOW OF OIL, WE
HEARD THAT THE UNITED STATES CAN
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS IN MOSCOW.
WHAT DOES A CYBERATTACK IN
RESPONSE LOOK LIKE?
>> FIRST, THERE'S THE
POSSIBILITY OF IMPLANTING
MALWARE IN CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ONCE MALWARE
IS IMPLANTED, IT CAN BE
ACTIVATED ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT, TO BE VERY
VIGILANT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE TYPE OF CYBERATTACK THAT
COULD WARRANT A CYBERATTACK IN
RESPONSE FROM OUR GOVERNMENT IS
ONE THAT CAUSES LARGE SCALE
DESTRUCTION OF SOME SORT, PHYSICAL DEATH POSSIBLY, A LOSS
PHYSICAL DEATH POSSIBLY, A LOSS
OF LIFE, AND A RESPONSE SHOULD
BE PROPOSITIONRTIONATE.
IN OTHER WORDS, UNDER
INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES, LAW
AFTER WAR, IF A CYBERATTACKS