Bart Grothuss, a Member of the European Parliament and a former cyber security expert at the Dutch Ministry of Defense, said it was now vital for EU member states to carry out an independent investigation into what was behind the attacks, as the EU could impose economic or diplomatic sanctions. “Without it (the name of the culprit) we are a toothless tiger,” Grothuss said.
Publicity photo
10:42, January 17, 2022
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Valdis Bērziņš, “Latvijas Avīze”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”
More than 70 Ukrainian authorities were cyber-attacked last weekend. Kiev has said it has evidence that Russia has staged a large-scale cyber attack that hit major government websites, but technology company Microsoft warned that the attack could have been more widespread than initially thought.
The cyber attack raises concerns about military aggression
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“All the evidence suggests that Russia is behind the cyber attack,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation said. The aim of the attack was “not only to intimidate the public, but also to destabilize the country by suspending the public sector, undermining the confidence of the Ukrainian people in the authorities.
The Kremlin has denied Russia’s involvement in the cyber attack on Ukraine, stressing that there is no evidence of such a commitment. The cyber-attack comes at a time of tension over the concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders, raising concerns about another Russian invasion in Kiev and the West. Blocking communication channels and social networks would be an appropriate course of action before a military attack, experts note.
A provocative statement in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish was posted on the main pages of public authorities ‘websites:’ Ukrainians, fear and prepare for the worst! All your personal data is uploaded to a shared network. All information has become public. (..) It tells you about your past, present and future. About Volyn, OUN and UPA (Ukrainian nationalist organizations), about Galicia, Polesia and historical lands. “
The websites of Ukrainian embassies and representations abroad were also blocked. Serhiy Demedyuk, deputy head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the cyber attack could have been carried out by UNC115, which is linked to Russian and Belarusian intelligence.
The EU and NATO are strengthening Ukraine’s cyber security
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that the alliance will step up cyber security cooperation with Ukraine following the attack. “Experts from Allied countries also support the Ukrainian authorities [digitālajā] on the battlefield, ”said Stoltenberg in a statement. “In the coming days, NATO and Ukraine will sign an agreement on enhanced cyber security cooperation, including Ukraine’s access to NATO’s platform for exchanging information on malicious people,” the Alliance’s Secretary General added.
EU High Representative Joseph Borrell has also said the EU is mobilizing its resources to help Ukraine after the cyber attack. He said the EU’s rapid response cyber force had been activated to analyze the attack. “All EU governments are invited to participate, even though Ukraine is not a member,” said the EU’s top diplomat. “It’s too early to point the finger. We have no evidence, ”said Borrell. However, he added: “You can imagine who did it.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Linde acknowledged that “the cyber attack is exactly what we warned about”. “At a time when the EU has warned Russia of the consequences of attacking Ukraine, such an attack is exacerbating tensions, so we must be very tough and firm in our response,” he said.
German Foreign Minister Annalen Berbock said that relations with Russia must be handled patiently and peacefully. “Especially in times of crisis, diplomacy requires perseverance, patience and strong nerves,” she said. Burbok, who will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday, added: “We are doing everything we can to prevent further escalation.”
German Foreign Minister Annalen Berbok will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleb in Kiev today, and she is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow tomorrow. According to Burbock, she wants to “use every possible channel of communication”. The minister acknowledged that “it will take endurance, patience and strong nerves”.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melania Jolie also plans to visit Kiev next week to confirm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The Kremlin uses cyber attacks to demonstrate its strength
Western intelligence recalls Russia’s recent cyber-attacks on Ukraine. A group of cyber-thieves overseen by Russian intelligence services broke into Ukraine’s electricity grid in 2015 and 2016, paralyzing the country’s electricity supply. In 2017, the Russian hacking group Sandworm launched a global malicious attack. EU sanctions were imposed on the attack on Russian intelligence officials in 2020.
“Russia is using a cyber attack to demonstrate its strength,” said Merle Maigre, a cyber security expert and former head of NATO’s cyber center in Tallinn who has worked in Ukraine. According to her, “this is a clear example of how cyber-attacks are becoming part of foreign policy.”
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