According to a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) official, a cyberattack on a NATO member state can activate the Article 5, the collective defence clause, amid concerns that the chaos in cyberspace surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spread to other areas.
For years, the military alliance has stated that a serious cyberattack can trigger the clause, but such a scenario has primarily remained hypothetical.
The United Kingdom and the United States have warned of possible cyberattacks on Ukraine, which could have international ramifications if malicious software designed to target Ukrainian networks spreads overseas.
Cybersecurity experts are also concerned that Russia may collaborate with some of the gangs and individuals that distribute malicious software, such as the malware that was used to hold the Colonial Pipeline to ransom in the United States last year.
Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said there were no clear guidelines on how NATO should respond if such an attack occurred.