In remarks scheduled for the NATO Cyber Defence Conference at Lancaster House, McFadden is expected to emphasize that Russia will not hesitate to exploit vulnerabilities in Western cyber defenses, particularly in the UK, to further its geopolitical agenda. He will urge NATO members not to underestimate the severity of the threat, describing it as a “hidden war” Russia is waging against Ukraine and its allies.

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“Military hard-power is one thing. But cyber war can be destabilizing and debilitating,” McFadden will say. “With a cyberattack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down power grids. This is the hidden war Russia is waging with Ukraine.”

State-backed Hackers and Unofficial Groups

The Cabinet minister is also expected to call out Russia’s Unit 29155, a military intelligence unit accused of conducting previous cyberattacks in the UK and across Europe. McFadden will caution that while these formal military units are a significant concern, the Kremlin also relies on a network of “unofficial hacktivists” and mercenaries—groups that operate outside of direct state control but are allowed to act with impunity as long as their activities align with Russian interests.

“The threat is real,” McFadden will declare. “Russia is exceptionally aggressive and reckless in the cyber realm.”

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The warning comes amid growing concerns over Russian cyber activity in response to the war in Ukraine. McFadden will point to the recent cyberattack on South Korea, a NATO Indo-Pacific partner, which was allegedly carried out by a pro-Kremlin hacking group. The attack followed South Korea’s monitoring of North Korean troop movements in the Russian region of Kursk, where Russia is fighting Ukrainian forces. McFadden will stress that such groups act with little regard for international boundaries or geopolitics and could “wreak havoc” on Western networks with a single miscalculation.

In his speech, McFadden will emphasize that Russia’s cyber tactics are not limited to high-profile government and military targets but extend to critical infrastructure and private businesses. “Russia won’t think twice about targeting British businesses in pursuit of its malign goals,” he will say. “It is happy to exploit any gap in our cyber or physical defenses.”

The minister’s comments reflect broader concerns about the vulnerability of UK businesses to cyber threats. McFadden will urge business leaders and other civilian organizations to take proactive measures to bolster their digital security. “Their security is our security,” he will stress, urging firms to ensure their cybersecurity measures are robust enough to thwart potential attacks from Russia and its proxies.

McFadden is also expected to outline steps the UK government is taking to strengthen its own defenses, as well as enhanced collaboration with NATO allies to combat emerging cyber threats. This will include a renewed focus on sharing intelligence, coordinating response strategies, and improving resilience against cyberattacks.

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In addition to his speech, McFadden and senior national security officials are set to meet with business leaders next week to discuss practical steps to secure their digital infrastructure against growing threats. The discussions will aim to foster greater collaboration between government, business, and cybersecurity experts to address vulnerabilities and strengthen the UK’s overall cyber resilience.

As tensions between Russia and the West continue to escalate over the war in Ukraine, the threat of cyber warfare is emerging as a central concern for NATO allies, who must now prepare for a new kind of battlefront—one that is often invisible but capable of causing widespread disruption and damage.