Dutch
intelligence
revealed
that
many
cyber
operations
attributed
to
Russia
against
Ukraine
and
NATO
members
have
yet
to
be
publicly
disclosed.
According
to
a
joint
report
published
by
the
Dutch
General
Intelligence
and
Security
Service
(AIVD),
and
the
Military
Intelligence
and
Security
Service
(MIVD),
many
cyber
operations
conducted
by
Russia-linked
hackers
against
Ukraine
and
NATO
members
during
the
past
year
have
yet
to
be
publicly
disclosed.
“Before
and
during
the
war,
Russian
intelligence
and
security
services
engaged
in
widespread
digital
espionage,
sabotage
and
influencing
against
Ukraine
and
NATO
allies.”
reads
the
joint
report.
“The
pace
of
Russian
cyber
operations
is
fast
and
many
of
these
attempts
have
not
yet
become
public
knowledge.
Ukrainian
and
Western
digital
defenses
have
so
far
been
able
to
limit
the
impact
of
continued
Russian
attack
attempts.
Throughout
the
war,
Russia
has
also
found
it
difficult
to
synchronize
cyber
operations
with
other
military
operations,
such
as
airstrikes.
By
far
the
largest
part
of
Russian
cyber
operations
is
aimed
at
espionage
to
obtain
military,
diplomatic
and
economic
information
from
both
Ukraine
and
NATO
allies.”
The
state-sponsored
hacking
operations
aimed
at
gathering
intelligence
on
the
adversaries,
at
conducting
sabotage
activities
and
misinformation
campaigns.
The
Rissia-linked
threat
actors
targeted
a
broad
number
of
organizations,
including
military
and
diplomatic
agencies.
Russian
hackers
aimed
at
gathering
information
on
military
support
provided
to
Ukraine
by
NATO
allies.
The
report
states
that
Russian
threat
actors
also
targeted
the
Dutch
armed
forces,
ministries
and
embassies,
but
the
cyber
espionage
campaigns
failed.
“The
Russian
cyber
sabotage
campaign
against
Ukraine
is
the
most
extensive
and
intensive
in
history.
Moscow
regularly
attempts
to
digitally
sabotage
Ukrainian
vital
infrastructure
and
carries
out
constant
wiper
malware
attacks.”
continues
the
report.
“The
sustained
and
very
high
pressure
that
Russia
exerts
with
this
requires
constant
vigilance
from
Ukrainian
and
Western
defenders.
However,
large-scale
disruption
has
so
far
failed
to
materialize
and
the
impact
of
cyber
sabotage
is
dwarfed
by
the
impact
of
physical
military
operations.
The
potential
of
cyber
operations
cannot
be
fully
exploited
by
Russia.
Russia
is
likely
to
struggle
to
synchronize
cyber
operations
with
other
military
operations,
such
as
airstrikes.”
Ukrainian
authorities
were
supported
by
Western
intelligence
services
and
cybersecurity
companies,
an
aid
that
significantly
increased
Ukrainian
digital
defense.
The
report
highlights
the
interest
of
Russia-linked
actors
in
influencing
the
political
contest
of
Ukraine
and
NATO
countries
through
deception,
disinformation,
and
cyber
operations.
The
Russian
intelligence
services
have
succeeded
several
times
in
temporarily
taking
control
of
Ukrainian
media
broadcasts
and
broadcasting
Russian
propaganda
messages.
Then
the
hackers
compromised
these
media.
Russian
threat
actors
also
targeted
critical
infrastructure
in
the
county,
including
the
power
supply.
“To
hide
their
involvement
in
covertly
spreading
disinformation
and
propaganda
through
digital
channels,
Russian
intelligence
services
employ
many
techniques
they
also
use
for
cyber
operations.”
concludes
the
report.
“In
the
case
of
the
Information
Operations
Troops
(VIO)
of
the
Russian
military
intelligence
service
GRU,
it
is
even
partly
the
same
units
that
are
responsible
for
both
cyber
operations
and
covert
influence.”
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