The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU from Security Service of Ukraine) said today that the country is the target of an ongoing "wave of hybrid warfare" that seeks to instill anxiety and undermine Ukrainian society's confidence in the state's ability to defend its citizens.
"Ukraine faces hacks aimed at systemically sowing panic, spreading false information and to distort the real state of affairs", reports the SSU.
SSU added that it had to deal with many such attempts starting with hostile intelligence services and bot fleets targeting social networks and the media.
❗ Today Russia is making great efforts to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. It not only draws troops to our borders, but also uses all tools of hybrid warfare, ie cyberattacks & disinformation campaigns.
For example: the geography of reports on fake minelaying this January. pic.twitter.com/aw9f4Gx0mu
- MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) February 1, 2022
“The SSU observes such manifestations of hybrid warfare on social networks, in some media, in the dissemination of news about the state, etc. "
Last week, the Ukrainian government security service dismantled two botnets which were linked to Russian special services and controlled 18.000 social network accounts.
The two botnets were used to spread fake news that spread panic and sent bomb threats that would fall en masse across the country.
On February 1, the Ukrainian Computer Emergency Response Team also warned of attacks against Ukrainian authorities, coordinated by the hacking group Gamaredon (backed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
A day later, the SSU reported that it had blocked more than 120 attacks targeting information systems of Ukrainian state institutions.
Microsoft also reported on 4 February that Gamaredon has launched a wave of e-fishing targeting organizations in Ukraine.
Redmond security investigators added that the ongoing cyber espionage campaign by the Gamaredon hacking team was coordinated by the Crimea, confirming SSU's assessment that they were FSB officers.
