Russian hackers are involved in the shutdown of light in Ukraine: can blackouts repeat - experts

Ukrainian State Security Experts are preparing for new hacker attacks this fall and winter, trying to prevent the situation of 2022. Russian hackers, probably under the control of the Main Intelligence Administration of the Russian Federation, are responsible for the attack in the fall of 2022, which led to shutdown of power grids in Ukraine. About it reports The Defense Post.

The publication refers to the Mandiant Cyber ​​Security Subsidiary report, which reports technical details of cyberattack from Russian hackers for Ukraine's infrastructure at different periods. According to the Autumn Autumn Report, the Cyberatak 2022 became the third known attack of Russia, which violated the work of Ukraine's power systems. All attacks (including 2015 and 2016) participated in the Sandworm hackers' groups, whose activities are associated with the GUR.

According to Mandiant, a hacker attack has caused a series of power outages throughout Ukraine. This required Kiev to temporarily stop electricity exports and left four regions without electricity. The shutdown of electricity from October 10 to October 12 coincided with several rocket strikes on the vital infrastructure of Ukraine. The document emphasizes that the attack was carried out in two stages. The first used its own operating technologies (Ot) to disable important systems.

The second is related to malicious software (software) called CaddyWiper, which erases the traces of Sandworm. Mandiant cyber experts note that Russia's attack on Ukraine's power system assumes that Russian hackers have a developed attacker cyberarsenal to identify different types of threats, develop new cyber can and use different OT-infrastructure for attacks.

Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine confirmed these attacks, declaring Reuters that the attacks probably carried out hackers, controlled, in order to increase the effect of Russian rocket strokes. The Deputy Head of the State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection of Ukraine (State Secretariat) Victor Zora added that the incident demonstrated Russia's ability to carry out simultaneous hacker and kinetic attacks on the same goal.

"The Russians are focused on the attacks on the energy sector, on critical infrastructure. The occupiers are striking with winged rockets and will constantly try to strike with cyber instruments," Viktor Zhora said in an interview with NBC. "I hope we will use this year to use this year. become more prepared and expect attacks this fall and winter. " Earlier, Focus reported that North Korea had already entered cyberwar using AI.