Businesses warned to beware of cyber attacks from Russia
BUSINESSES HAVE been warned to take action following cyber attacks in Ukraine.
As Russia escalates its presence on Ukraine’s borders, there have been a number of malicious cyber attacks in and around the country, leading to the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to issue guidance to firms.
The NCSC, which is part of GCHQ, said no current threats to the UK had been identified, but said the new guidance would allow organisations to build resilience and stay ahead of potential threat.
A spokesman from NCSC said recent cyber activity in Ukraine fitted with pattern of Russian behaviour previously observed, including in the damaging NotPetya incident, which infected the computer systems of snacks food giant Mondelez, disrupting its email systems, file access, and logistics for weeks.
They said while the Government is not attributing responsibility for the recent cyber incidents in Ukraine, the NCSC is investigating them.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs the UK will not hesitate to “toughen our national sanctions” against Russia in response to “whatever President Putin may do”.
He added: “We’ve already declassified compelling intelligence, exposing Russian intent to install a puppet regime in Ukraine. And we will continue to disclose any Russian use of cyber attacks, false flag operations or disinformation.”
NCSC is encouraging UK firms to take steps that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack, including using patching systems to repair vulunerability in software; ensuring that online defences are working as expected; improving access controls and enabling multi-factor authentication; implementing an effective incident response plan; and checking that backups and restore mechanisms are working.
Paul Chichester, NCSC Director of Operations, said: “The NCSC is committed to raising awareness of evolving cyber threats and presenting actionable steps to mitigate them.
“While we are unaware of any specific cyber threats to UK organisations in relation to events in Ukraine, we are monitoring the situation closely and it is vital that organisations follow the guidance to ensure they are resilient. “Over several years, we have observed a pattern of malicious Russian behaviour in cyberspace.
“Last week’s incidents in Ukraine bear the hallmarks of similar Russian activity we have observed before.”
The guidance advises organisations which fall victim to a cyber attack to report it to NCSC.
GERMANY: Prosecutors said they have charged a Russian man who worked at a German university with espionage for allegedly passing information on European rockets to Russian intelligence.
The suspect, identified only as Ilnur N in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on June 18. Until then, he worked as a research assistant for a science and technology professorship at a university in Bavaria. Prosecutors have not identified the university.