Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
411. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland has sought to be joined as a notice party in a court case in the United States against Russian Government employees in relation to malicious cyber activity in which the evidence suggests that this activity targeted Irish infrastructure in a period between 2012 and 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17883/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is aware of the charges brought in US courts against four Russian government employees in relation to malicious cyber activity, targeting a range of critical energy infrastructure across 135 countries, including Ireland, between 2012 and 2018. We will continue to engage with the United States, our fellow EU Member States and other international partners on next steps in relation to this case.
In general terms, hybrid threat actors seek to exploit the vulnerabilities of states to their own advantage through the use of a range of coordinated measures, including offensive cyber operations against critical infrastructure. Our open and internationalised economy and society means that we as a country need to be particularly aware of the potential of these threats. Given the current international context, I know that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been operating at a heightened state of preparedness for some months and contingency plans are in place to deal with any escalation of malicious cyber activity.
