{"id":15828,"date":"2022-02-24T18:04:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T18:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/24\/ukraine-pelted-with-cyberattacks-ahead-of-russian-assault\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:31:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:31:58","slug":"ukraine-pelted-with-cyberattacks-ahead-of-russian-assault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/it-networks-battlefield-tech\/2022\/02\/24\/ukraine-pelted-with-cyberattacks-ahead-of-russian-assault\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine pelted with cyberattacks ahead of Russian assault"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Ukrainian websites were paralyzed by denial of service cyberattacks ahead of Russia\u2019s overnight offensive, with analysts discovering data-corrupting malware coursing through the country\u2019s computers shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sites for Ukraine\u2019s defense, foreign affairs and interior ministries, among others, were knocked offline Feb. 23, according <a href=\"https:\/\/cip.gov.ua\/en\/news\/chergova-kiberataka-na-saiti-derzhavnikh-organiv-ta-banki\" target=\"_blank\">to the government<\/a>, as Russian forces moved in. Explosions were reported around the country \u2014 including near the capital, Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distributed denial of service attacks flood a site with traffic, rendering them useless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukrainian agencies and banks were previously hit with a denial of service cyberattack Feb. 15, while Russia continued massing troops and materiel along its border. Websites were crippled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/cyber\/2022\/02\/17\/cisa-accuses-russia-backed-hackers-of-stealing-info-from-us-defense-contractors\/\" target=\"_blank\">in January<\/a>, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While experts urged caution in attributing blame in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the White House National Security Council claimed to have evidence linking them to a Russian intelligence agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe U.S. has technical information linking Russian GRU to this week\u2019s distributed denial of service attacks in Ukraine,\u201d the council said in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WHNSC\/status\/1494796573959725057?s=20&#038;t=x4llDge1n5_JTTjS5tQ4PA\" target=\"_blank\">a Feb. 18 tweet<\/a>. \u201cKnown GRU infrastructure has been noted transmitting high volumes of communications to Ukraine-based IP addresses and associated banking-related domains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And just hours after the DDoS attacks, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ESETresearch\/status\/1496581903205511181\" target=\"_blank\">cybersecurity firm ESET<\/a> separately warned of a hostile data-wiping software \u201cinstalled on hundreds of machines\u201d in Ukraine. Dubbed Hermetic Wiper, the malware was able to corrupt data on users\u2019 computers, according to ESET researchers. The company went on to note that metadata in the software suggests the attack may have been in preparation for almost two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cyberattacks preceding an offensive in Ukraine have long been predicted, though exactly who is to blame for the latest onslaught was not immediately clear. A request for comment made Thursday morning to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/cybercon\/2021\/11\/10\/us-cyber-command-publishes-concept-for-integrating-new-capabilities\/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Cyber Command<\/a> was not immediately answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moscow has used cyber and disinformation campaigns to project its force in the past, including in Ukraine in 2015, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/cyber\/2022\/02\/17\/cisa-accuses-russia-backed-hackers-of-stealing-info-from-us-defense-contractors\/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Greg Austin, a senior fellow for cyber, space and future conflict at the Institute for Strategic Studies, on Thursday said Russia \u201chas launched many cyberattacks on Ukraine.\u201d But, he added, \u201ceven as the Ukraine crisis escalates further, Russia is unlikely to unleash the full power of its cyber sabotage operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukraine has sought closer ties to NATO\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/global\/europe\/2022\/02\/01\/ukraine-seeks-closer-ties-with-nato-on-cyber-defense\/\" target=\"_blank\">cyber center of excellence<\/a> in Estonia, which could provide much-needed expertise and resources. But the country\u2019s formal membership was denied last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence is staffed and financed by the U.S., the U.K., Canada, South Korea, Germany, Japan <a href=\"https:\/\/ccdcoe.org\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\">and many others<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CISA on Feb. 18 said the cyber operations observed abroad demonstrate how quickly foreign governments and other actors can spring into action and potentially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/cyber\/2022\/02\/16\/experts-urge-caution-in-assessing-ukraine-cyberattacks\/\" target=\"_blank\">target U.S. infrastructure<\/a> and other interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need to be prepared for the potential of foreign influence operations to negatively impact various aspects of our critical infrastructure with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine geopolitical tensions,\u201d the agency\u2019s director, Jen Easterly, said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Easterly in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CISAJen\/status\/1496819600146804742\" target=\"_blank\">a Thursday morning tweet<\/a> said there were \u201cno specific threats to the US\u201d at the moment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sites for Ukraine\u2019s defense, foreign affairs and interior ministries, among others, were knocked offline Feb. 23, as Russian forces moved in and explosions were reported around the country \u2014 including near the capital, 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