Behind the Hack: Ukraine

Target: Multiple Ukrainian companies and government entities 
Date of attack: February 23 to 25, 2022
 
Quick take: At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a series of cyberattacks struck government agencies and financial institutions in the country. The attackers used a form of wiper malware, which compromises secure systems and erases the data stored on them. This is the same type of virus that was used in the devastating NotPetya attack on Ukraine in 2017, which rapidly spread around the world and caused more than $10 billion in damage. 
Why it matters: After Microsoft detected the attack, it contacted the Ukrainian authorities and the U.S. government, which asked if the tech giant would share the code of the malware with other European countries. A New York Times article about the attack explained that the invasion of Ukraine is forcing governments and companies to work together for the sake of national security: “After years of discussions in Washington and in tech circles about the need for public-private partnerships to combat destructive cyberattacks, the war in Ukraine is stress-testing the system.” 
With the possibility of Russian retaliation for sanctions, arms deliveries, and other forms of support for Ukraine, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an urgent warning: “Every organization – large and small – must be prepared to respond to disruptive cyber activity.” 
We’ve got a hack for that: NINJIO has long been focused on how companies can contribute to national security by serving as the first line of defense for critical industries like financial services and infrastructure. One likely attack vector in a state-sponsored attack on the U.S. is ransomware – a cyberthreat NINJIO has covered at length. For example, in the episode “Ransomware is Everywhere” (season 3, episode 6), viewers learn about a ransomware attack that shuts down critical infrastructure across a city. The episode addresses the importance of controlling access to devices and networks, as well as best practices for employees such as separating personal and professional device use. 
At a time when companies have a responsibility to keep the country safe from cyberattacks launched by hostile governments, cybercriminals, and threat actors of all kinds, NINJIO helps them develop the most crucial cybersecurity resource they have: a cyber-aware workforce.