The latest cyberattack against U.S. government computer systems reflects Russia's strategic position on the world stage, its perceived vulnerabilities and its continued use of gray area operations to maintain a strategic edge against the United States. The SolarWinds attack appears to have provided Russian operatives with lengthy access to internal U.S. government computer systems and email accounts, a veritable goldmine of intelligence collection. Initial assessments suggest the suspected Russian operatives limited the systems they accessed, reducing the chance of detection and thus lengthening their access. As such, this currently appears to be primarily an intelligence collection operation, not an offensive operation designed to damage or destroy U.S. systems. Russia's continued use of cyberspace for intelligence collection and detection of vulnerabilities for potential offensive operations demonstrate a key component of Russian international strategy.