‘Russia can turn the lights off’: how the UK is preparing for cyberwar

Experts say the Russian cyber-threat should be taken seriously, even if a devastating attack on national infrastructure could invoke Nato’s mutual defence clause – which could make Moscow hesitate. “I would take his warning seriously. I don’t think it’s hyperbole,” said Dan Marks, research fellow for energy security at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) thinktank. “Having said that, the UK grid is pretty resilient. There is potential for Russia to do damage and cause problems but there is resilience in the grid. It has been designed to cope with stresses and threats.”