Ukraine in crisis: How to prepare for cyber attacks

The UK government has urged companies to bolster their online defences as Vladimir Putin declares all-out war on Ukraine.The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said it is not aware of any current specific threats to British organisations but “there has been an historical pattern of cyber attacks on Ukraine with international consequences”. The websites of several Ukrainian banks and government departments became inaccessible on Wednesday, heightening global cybersecurity concerns.At the same time a new "wiper" attack, which destroys data on infected machines, was discovered being used against Ukrainian organisations.The incident represents the third wave of attacks against Ukraine this year.The days of being mere spectators are overAs Russia engages up to 190,000 troops to seize Ukraine, global governments have warned that Kremlin cyber attacks could spill beyond national borders into the west.“The war we see on TV is only a fraction of the conflict. Cyber weapons are doing at least equal damage to Ukrainian computer networks, particularly financial and military systems. We will never have more vivid proof that offensive cyber action is now a first-strike tactic, on a par with kinetic warfare," said Hitesh Sheth CEO of Vectra AI.“The sobering difference is that conventional war is waged between nation states. Cyber war poses a severe risk to private companies – however reluctant and unwilling they are to become combatants. Escalating cyber conflict could lead to unanticipated consequences and casualties. Nobody is assured of remaining a mere spectator."No public or private organisation can afford to be complacent about the Ukrainian conflict and its global ramifications, added Sheth."These alarming events prove the point that antiquated cyber defenses centered on perimeter protection will fail under fire. Security begins at home, and private interests cannot rely on state-sponsored protection."UK in the crosshairsThe Russian-Ukraine war is founded on a multi-pronged campaign that utilises extensive ground and cyber warfare, said Kevin Bocek, VP of security strategy and threat intelligence at Venafi."You can’t take satellite images of hackers in the same way you can with troops, tanks and artillery, so one can only guess at what might be coming next from a cyber point of view. "But it’s safe to say the scale and volume of attacks against companies in the UK and other nations siding with Ukraine will inevitably increase."Bocek said British companies should urgently up their cyber defences as the war escalates.“You can expect UK companies to firmly be in the crosshairs as Russia looks to disrupt the supply of weapons, soldiers and financial support to Ukraine," he warned.No magic formulaMorgan Wright, chief security advisor at SentinelOne and senior fellow at the US Center for Digital Government, said there is no “magic formula” to remaining secure."It boils down to keeping a focus on the security fundamentals and reinforcing user awareness. All software should be patched and running the latest versions,” Wright said."Security leaders should be thoughtful in their communications to users. It’s important to be candid about the current situation and make sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities in keeping their data and networks secure.” Wright added that companies should revisit incident response (IR) procedures and make sure all required resources are available and IR personnel are fully briefed. Stuart McKenzie, SVP consulting, EMEA, Mandiant, noted that Russia has long constituted a cyber threat to the UK through espionage, information operations and covert cyber attacks. "This current government warning is more focused on disruptive activity that could accompany a kinetic threat abroad. Cyber is already recognised as a primary domain in warfare, alongside land, sea, air, and increasingly space. Modern warfare will use cyber tactics as a method to project power far beyond borders and the traditional battlefield,” he said. Mandiant recommends that defenders take proactive steps to harden their networks against destructive attacks and has provided a guide to this process for free to the public. At-a-glance: NCSC Ukraine security crisis advice Keep system patches up to dateEnable multi-factor authenticationEnsure backups are in placeImplement an “effective” incident response planStay up-to-date with the latest threat and mitigation informationRead more detailed guidance from the NCSC here.

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Ukraine in crisis: How to prepare for cyber attacks

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