Russian Interference In The 2016 United States Presidential Election

This work addresses how and why Russia interfered in the United States 2016 presidential election, and identifies a larger pattern of behavior that helps explain this action. Though Russia’s cyberattack defies precedent with regard to Russia-US geopolitical relations, it comes as the latest iteration of Russian cyberwarfare and intelligence warfare on its adversaries. In particular, Russia’s interference in US politics grew out of the tactics and networks developed in “Cyber War I,” waged by Russia on Estonia in 2007, and from Russia’s interference in Ukrainian political systems since 2014. To accomplish its ends, Russia perpetrated cyberattacks on state election systems and national industry infrastructure, disseminated foreign and domestic propaganda campaigns, hacked the computer systems of political networks, and attempted to recruit American citizens as assets, particularly key members of the Trump campaign team.