A Kyivstar store branch in Kyiv.Image Reuters
On December 12 last year, when Kyivstar’s network was shut down, Ukraine faced the largest cyber attack since the Russian invasion. Only after more than a week were all 24 million customers of the country’s largest provider able to make telephone calls and use the internet again.
The hackers had been trying to enter Kyivstar’s network since March 2023. This is what the head of the cyber department of the Ukrainian security service SBOe, Ilya Vitjoek, told Reuters. In May, hackers from the Solntsepyok group penetrated Kyivstar’s networks.
Eventually, probably from November onwards, the hackers also gained access to the personal data of Kyivstar’s 24 million customers. According to the SBOe, they were able to access information about the location of users and intercept Telegram and SMS traffic.
‘No one is untouchable’
A day after the hack, Kyivstar denied that the intruders could access their customers’ data. According to the provider, by immediately switching off the entire network, that part of the server would be shielded. According to the security service, this is not the case, but Kyivstar insists to Reuters that there is no evidence that personal information has been leaked.
“This attack is an important warning, not only for Ukraine, but for the entire West, that no one is untouchable,” said Vitjoek, who points out that Kyivstar has invested in cybersecurity in recent years.
Kyvistar’s CEO said in December that the hackers entered through an account of an employee of the provider. The SBOe has not yet drawn that conclusion. However, Vitjuk is ‘almost certain’ that the attack was controlled by Sandworm, a cyber branch of the Russian intelligence service.
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2024-01-04 13:34:11
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