The latest bout of cyber-disruption to hit Ukraine, which may involve cyberattacks, was reported on Wednesday by cybersecurity researchers.
Researchers aren't sure of its source, but they say it's spreading through Ukraine.
Jean-Ian Boutin is the head of threat research at a security firm.
The data was destroyed, Boutin believes.
The HermeticWiper is only found in Ukraine, but other countries have been identified as targets of data-wiping attacks.
The Russian government has been blamed for the damage caused by the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that took down the websites of several Ukrainian banks and government agencies.
According to Microsoft, data-wiping malware swept through Ukraine last month.
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine appears to be related to the ongoing attack on Wednesday on the computer system of the company.
The time stamps show that the malware was created two months ago.
Russia has moved over 150,000 troops to the border with Ukraine, leading US officials to conclude that Putin will launch a devastating invasion of the country. Some experts and Biden Administration staffers warn that a full-scale invasion of Ukraine could be preceded by a series of cyberattacks. The Russian government and Russian-speaking gangs have been blamed for cyberattacks in the past. Several U.S. government agencies and private businesses have been the targets of large-scale cyberattacks linked to Russia in recent years. Putin insisted last year that the majority of cyberattacks originate in the United States.
The U.S. defense official said Wednesday that Putin could launch an invasion at any time, because 80% of Russia's troops are in forward positions. On Monday, Putin recognized the independence of two pro-Russian rebel states in eastern Ukraine, and said he could send troops to those regions. There have been increased violations of the ceasefire between the Ukrainians and the Russians.
Russia has threatened military-technical measures if the U.S. doesn't meet a number of demands. Putin blamed the Ukrainian government for the tensions in his Monday evening speech.
Experts say there could be more aggression on the part of the Ukrainians.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
