Number of Cyberattacks on Ukraine Growing

The Cyber Security Situation Centre of the Security Service of Ukraine has recorded an increase in the number of cyberattacks aimed against government agencies, critical infrastructure facilities, and private sector organisations in Ukraine. Hacker groups subordinated to the special services of the Russian Federation have become particularly active.

Thus, in April 2021, a cyberattack on the information and telecommunication systems of government agencies, using deceptive files on the subject of COVID-19, was exposed. Downloading these files from the Internet (via e-mail messages, groups in messengers, etc.) and interacting with them led to the destruction of user computers and uploading working files (with predefined extensions) to attackers’ servers.

As a reminder, IBM Security released the annual 2021 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index. It demonstrates how the nature of cyberattacks changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when attackers sought to profit from an unprecedented socio-economic situation and political and business challenges.

In particular, Europe was the most-attacked region in 2020, experiencing 31% of all cyberattacks observed by X-Force experts. Also, the number of attacks by encryption viruses increased sharply. In addition, Europe suffered more insider attacks than any other region, twice as many as North America and Asia combined.

Natalia Tolub