George W. Bush: US must confront ‘new era of cyber threats’

Former President George W. Bush on Thursday warned against Russia’s attempts to meddle in the United States election, calling on the nation to confront “a new era of cyber threats.”

During a forum for the George W. Bush Institute in New York City, Bush detailed recommendations from a call to action paper by two of the institute’s scholars.

“America must harden its own defenses. Our country must show resolve and resilience in the face of external attacks on our democracy and that begins with confronting a new era of cyber threats,” Bush said.

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“This effort is broad, systemic and stealthy. It’s conducted across a range of social media platforms,” Bush said of the threats.

“Ultimately this assault won’t succeed, but foreign aggressions including cyberattacks, disinformation and financial influence should never be downplayed or tolerated.”

Bush’s comments come as the special counsel appointed by the Office of the Attorney General, in addition to both the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, conduct investigations into Russia’s election interference and any potential ties between President Trump’s campaign staff members and the Kremlin.

The congressional probes have recently delved into how Russia may have used social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to interfere in the presidential election.

Trump has criticized the Russia investigations as “an excuse used by the Democrats” for their loss in last year’s November election.