Cyberspace is uncharted territory that has become an extremely pertinent issue in security among the international community. The 2020 SolarWinds hack was one of the most widespread and sophisticated hacks by Russia that was aimed at both the United States federal government and the private sector. SolarWinds exposed major vulnerabilities in U.S. defensive cyber capabilities as well as prompting debates surrounding cyber-attacks, cyber-security, and international cyber-norms. I posed the question: “What explains the extent of cyberattacks perpetrated against the United States from the government to the private sector when examining the SolarWinds attack of 2020?” The cyber-security model, the cyber kill chain, was applied in order to analyze the SolarWinds hack. Because SolarWinds was not seen to be bent on harm nor destruction, it was imperative to examine cyber-attacks versus cyber espionage. Moreover, SolarWinds exposed the lack of coordination and collaboration between private corporations and governmental agencies in order to reduce vulnerabilities. The SolarWinds hack provided key insights into the vulnerabilities currently present in our cyber capabilities. Not to mention, the United States’ vulnerabilities in defensive cybersecurity. The hack leaves the United States and other nations vulnerable to future attacks, specifically ones targeting critical national infrastructures. Such attacks will cause widespread destruction and harm to nations and their citizens.