The world is bracing for an international cyberwar as Russia attacks Ukraine
Key takeaways:
- Ukraine has been struck with numerous cyberattacks targeting its government and banking system in recent weeks, and professionals have accused Russia.
- The attack of raids has led to fears of a broader digital war, with Western governments on attention for cyber threats from Russia.
- Researchers tell a cyberwar between Russia and the West is likely to be restricted through the rigor of any such event.
Ukraine pounded with cyberattacks, accuses Russia:
As Russia steps up its cyberattacks on Ukraine alongside a military attack, governments on both flanks of the Atlantic are concerned the crisis could spill over into other nations, becoming an all-out cyberwar.
In recent weeks, Russia has been condemned for several cyberattacks targeting Ukraine’s government and banking system.
On Thursday, cybersecurity firm ESET stated it had found new “wiper” malware targeting Ukrainian associations. Such software seeks to erase data from the systems it targets.
A day before, the websites of several Ukrainian government units and banks were knocked offline by a dispersed refusal of service (DDoS) attack, which is when hackers overcome a website with traffic till it crashes.
It arrives after a different attack the previous week took down four Ukrainian government websites, which U.S. and U.K. officials attributed to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency.
Ukrainian citizens reportedly got fake text notes saying ATMs in the nation did not work, which cybersecurity professionals say was probably a shock tactic.
For its part, Russia states it “has never worked and does not conduct any ‘negative’ operations in cyberspace.”