Alberto Nardelli, Vladimir Kuznetsov and Kateryna Choursina report:
Ukraine’s worst cyberattack in four years brought down the websites of scores of government agencies for hours. Authorities didn’t immediately identify the source of the hacks, which took place as tensions with Russia intensified over its troop buildup across the border.
Seventy government agencies were hit, including the Foreign and Agriculture Ministries, Viktor Zhora, the deputy head of the state agency in charge of special communication and information protection, said Friday.
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The following statement was issued by Ukraine’s security service (SBU) today (machine translation):
Regarding cyberattacks on government websites
On the night of January 13-14, a number of government websites, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, and others, were hacked.
Provocative messages were posted on the main page of these sites. The content of the sites was not changed, and the leakage of personal data, according to preliminary information, did not occur. The “Action” application works normally.
In order to prevent the attack from spreading to other resources, as well as to localize the technical problem, a number of other government sites have been suspended.
The Security Service of Ukraine, the Cyber Police and the State Special Communications Service, together with the relevant state authorities, are investigating the incident and gathering digital evidence.
Most of the affected state resources have already been restored, others will be available soon.
Document: SBU recommendations on eliminating vulnerability to cyber attacks (hotfix:)