A senior Nato commander has issued a stark warning that Russia could be orchestrating a wave of devastating cyber attacks against major British businesses, including retail giant Marks & Spencer and car manufacturer Jaguar.
State-Sponsored Threats and Corporate Fallout
Brigadier General Ümit Ersoy, Nato’s head of cyber operations, told The Times that the Kremlin is likely aiding ransomware groups responsible for costly breaches. He described Russia as a "rogue regime" that would not refrain from collaborating with criminal elements. This comes amid an escalating campaign of hybrid attacks across Europe attributed to Moscow.
The warning follows specific high-profile incidents earlier this year. Marks & Spencer saw its profits plummet by 99 per cent in the first half of the year after a severe hack in April, linked to a young English-speaking group called Scattered Spider. The attack forced the retailer to halt online orders for several weeks.
Similarly, Jaguar Land Rover was forced to stop production at key sites following a breach in August by a group with a similar name. The economic impact of the JLR hack was estimated to be as high as £2 billion.
Nato Considers a More Aggressive Posture
Brig. Gen. Ersoy emphasised that the cyber threat landscape has deteriorated rapidly, becoming far more demanding than just six months ago. He stated that Russia has spent years building a "very successful" offensive cyber capability, and that threats from state actors or those they support are growing increasingly sophisticated.
His concerns were echoed this week by another senior Nato official, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. Speaking to the Financial Times, Admiral Dragone revealed the alliance is actively considering "pre-emptive" action against Russia in response to the string of hybrid attacks. He argued that such a strike could be viewed as a defensive measure, even if it diverges from Nato's traditional reactive stance.
"On cyber, we are kind of reactive. Being more aggressive, or being proactive instead of reactive, is something that we are thinking about," Admiral Dragone said. This shift in thinking follows incidents in the Baltic Sea where vessels were accused of damaging undersea cables.
The West's Race to Catch Up
Brig. Gen. Ersoy expressed a profound concern that the West has not developed its defensive capabilities quickly enough to match the evolving threat. After two years in his role, his biggest fear is a lack of awareness and preparedness.
"There are one million scenarios that may somehow create a problem for you, so even because of a simple administrative measure that you forgot to take, anything may happen," he warned. The call from within Nato for a more assertive strategy underscores the growing alarm over the blend of criminal ransomware groups and state-sponsored aggression targeting critical economic infrastructure in the UK and Europe.
