Does Jeh Johnson consider Russia’s cyber attack against the US to be an act of war?

January 07, 2021

Does Jeh Johnson Consider Russia’s Cyber Attack Against the US To Be an Act of War? | GZERO World

"When I was at Homeland Security, I used to tell people to prepare and plan for the next attack, not the last attack. I used to try to encourage my people to think aggressively, to try to stay one step ahead of the enemy." Former US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson spent years trying to protect the United States against the kind of massive cyber attack that Russia carried out against American businesses and government agencies in the last year. But at what point should we view such a breach as more than a remarkable feat of espionage? When does it constitute an act of war?

Johnson's conversation with Ian Bremmer was part of the latest episode of GZERO World, which begins airing nationally in the US on public television Friday, January 8th. Check local listings.

From Your Site Articles

Hard Numbers: Macron digs in his heels, Mali puts a retaliatory tax on US visitors, Ecuador’s fuel protests heat up, Nobel Prize for Economics criticize protectionism

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the members of the media, after arriving by plane to attend the Gaza Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025.

Yoan Valat/Pool via REUTERS

2: French President Emmanuel Macron rejected calls to resign as his fragile government faces two no-confidence votes this week.

What We’re Watching: Gaza ceasefire begins, Venezuela’s opposition wins Nobel, Peru’s president ousted

Palestinian children look at rubble following Israeli forces' withdrawal from the area, after Israel and Hamas agreed on the Gaza ceasefire, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 10, 2025.

REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Israel approved the Gaza ceasefire deal on Friday morning, bringing the ceasefire officially into effect. The Israeli military must withdraw its forces to an agreed perimeter inside Gaza within 24 hours, and Hamas has 72 hours to return the hostages.

Does Jeh Johnson consider Russia’s cyber attack against the US to be an act of war?

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

Five major disruptors are changing the US economic cycle

A new set of forces is distorting the economy's response mechanisms and muting the traditional cycle. Listen to Strategic Alternatives, the RBC Capital Markets podcast, to hear Chief Economist Frances Donald break down what it means for companies, investors, and policymakers.

How three different AIs would solve the Ukraine war

People from different cultures often approach the same problem in different ways. We wondered — would an AI trained and tuned in China approach a complex geopolitical challenge differently than a model created and trained in Europe, or in the United States?

Graphic Truth: Measles spreads across the US

Hard Numbers: Macron digs in his heels, Mali puts a retaliatory tax on US visitors, Ecuador’s fuel protests heat up, Nobel Prize for Economics criticize protectionism

2: French President Emmanuel Macron rejected calls to resign as his fragile government faces two no-confidence votes this week.

What We’re Watching: Israeli hostages return home, China snaps back at Trump’s tariff threat, Madagascar’s president flees the country

GZEROMEDIA

Trump brokers peace: Hostages freed and guns fall silent in Gaza

In this week's Quick Take, Ian Bremmer talks about the landmark moment in the Middle East: All 20 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas have been released, and a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has been signed—brokered by President Trump.

Hard Numbers: Europe to target small packages, US hits Chinese oil refiners, free speech win in UK, Taliban blames Pakistan for Kabul explosion

What We’re Watching: Gaza ceasefire begins, Venezuela’s opposition wins Nobel, Peru’s president ousted

Israel approved the Gaza ceasefire deal on Friday morning, bringing the ceasefire officially into effect. The Israeli military must withdraw its forces to an agreed perimeter inside Gaza within 24 hours, and Hamas has 72 hours to return the hostages.

The unseen wounds of war

We’re living in a time of record-high conflict, a level of violence not seen since World War II. The past four years have been marred by deadly battles in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and beyond, with approximately 14% of the planet’s population now impacted by war.

You vs. the News: A Weekly News Quiz - October 10, 2025

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

Does Jeh Johnson consider Russia’s cyber attack against the US to be an act of war?

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

A new set of forces is distorting the economy's response mechanisms and muting the traditional cycle. Listen to Strategic Alternatives, the RBC Capital Markets podcast, to hear Chief Economist Frances Donald break down what it means for companies, investors, and policymakers.

People from different cultures often approach the same problem in different ways. We wondered — would an AI trained and tuned in China approach a complex geopolitical challenge differently than a model created and trained in Europe, or in the United States?

2: French President Emmanuel Macron rejected calls to resign as his fragile government faces two no-confidence votes this week.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

In this week's Quick Take, Ian Bremmer talks about the landmark moment in the Middle East: All 20 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas have been released, and a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has been signed—brokered by President Trump.

Israel approved the Gaza ceasefire deal on Friday morning, bringing the ceasefire officially into effect. The Israeli military must withdraw its forces to an agreed perimeter inside Gaza within 24 hours, and Hamas has 72 hours to return the hostages.

We’re living in a time of record-high conflict, a level of violence not seen since World War II. The past four years have been marred by deadly battles in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and beyond, with approximately 14% of the planet’s population now impacted by war.

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.