The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast

#56 - Hacker History: When the Lights Went Out in Ukraine (Part 1)

LimaCharlie

Beginning on January 13th, 2022, a Russian APT installed wiper malware on the IT networks of government, NGO, and IT companies across Ukraine. The malicious program was designed to appear like ransomware, but contained no recovery feature – it simply destroyed any computer it wished.

Just one day later, hackers from the intelligence service of Belarus – Russia’s close ally – took down 70 websites belonging to the Ukrainian government.

This was tilling – laying down the foundation for an all-out ground attack. Plastered on the 70 downed websites was a message from the attackers: “be afraid,” they wrote,
and expect the worst.”

The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast: a show about cybersecurity and the people that defend the internet.