The European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom officially attributed to Russia the cyberattack on the Viasat satellite service, which irreparably damaged more than 72,000 terminals in Europe.
“The cyberattack took place an hour before the unprovoked and unwarranted invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, facilitating military aggression. This cyberattack has had a significant impact causing indiscriminate interruptions and disruptions in communication among several public bodies, businesses and users in Ukraine, while affecting several EU Member States”explains a press release from the European Union.
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This attribution is based on information collected by the American and British services. The primary target of this attack was the Ukrainian army.
But the hack also caused a lot of collateral damage in Europe. Thus, more than 10,000 consumer terminals have become inoperative in France and, for the same reasons, more than 5,800 wind turbines have been disconnected in Germany, requiring on-site troubleshooting.
“This is clear and shocking evidence of a deliberate and malicious Russian attack on Ukraine, which has had significant consequences for ordinary citizens and businesses in Ukraine, and across Europe. We will continue to expose Russia’s malign behavior and unprovoked aggression on land, at sea and in cyberspace, and we will ensure that it faces serious consequences.”said Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.
Wipers that come from the cold
Other cyberattacks have been attributed to Russia in the context of the conflict with Ukraine. Thus, Putin’s army would have deployed “several families of destructive wiper-type malware, including WhisperGate”underlines the Department of State of the United States.
These attacks “began in January 2022, before Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and continued throughout the war”adds the department.
Such attributions are above all political acts. They are usually followed by retaliatory actions.
“The European Union, in close cooperation with its partners, is considering measures to prevent, deter, deter and respond to such malicious behavior in cyberspace (…) Russia must stop this war and immediately end the senseless human suffering”underlined the European Union.
Sources : EU, US State Dep, UK Foreign Office