ADDRESSING THE RISK FROM
C Y B E R
THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE CONTINUES TO FLUCTUATE. CYBERATTACKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN OBSERVED IN THE CONFLICT, AND I EXPECT DIVERSIONS, DISTRACTIONS, AND FALSE FLAGS AS TENSIONS ESCALATE. THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL RISK OF OTHER THREAT ACTORS BEING OPPORTUNISTIC UNDER THE COVER OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.
countries. As the conflict
may be symbolic or host ‘mes-
evolves, any nations impact-
saging material’ (e.g. market-
ed by cyberattacks could con-
ing, newspapers, etc.)
yberattacks are cer-
factor means that just a few
strue the activity as an act of
•Government agencies and re-
tain to play a central
keystrokes could significantly
war, and then things could get
lated organisations.
role in combination
raise the stakes.
much more serious. While cyberwarfare operations
forms, some where the threat
are expected to be leveraged
actors are clearly connected
causing issues for organisa-
The risk from cyberattacks in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
in order to distract, disrupt,
to Russia, and some more cov-
tions, it could be an indication
The threat is fluid, and will de-
and destroy systems critical to
ert actions where obfuscation
that Russia is digging into its
pend on the situation on the
Ukraine’s defence capabilities
is employed to make direct at-
stockpile of zero-day delivery
ground. In the earliest stag-
locally, there is a high proba-
tribution difficult if not impos-
mechanisms, payloads, and
es of the conflict, Ukraine ob-
bility that Russian operatives
sible.
compromised assets.
viously has the most to worry
might also target a wide range
c
with any traditional military action on the ground. So if never-before-seen exploits start
Cyberattacks could take many
about, as well as those doing
of organisations beyond the
For example, over the last few
Cyber is critical here. Russia
business in and with Ukraine
region, including:
months there has been a new
needs to default to asymmet-
given possible collateral dam-
•Financial services organisa-
wave of cyber-attacks target-
ric options because they are
age from stray cyber muni-
tions
ing Ukrainian entities involv-
clearly struggling with other
tions.
•Energy producers and utilities
ing attacks on the Ukrainian
•Telecommunication and in-
Defence Ministry website and
means of achieving their nationalistic aims. This is brink-
There is also risk for any al-
ternet infrastructure organi-
regional banks, website de-
manship at a level that is un-
lied nations in the G7, NATO,
sations
facements, DDOS attacks, and
precedented, and the cyber
and other largely non-involved
•Public-facing entities that
a sophisticated multi-stage
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VOL 22
ISSUE 2
CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM
