'Strongest' Russian Cyberattack, Surprisingly Weak?... Ukraine's Computer Network 'Intact' [Reading Science]

Cyberattack (Photo by Getty Images)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Russia has demonstrated weaker-than-expected cyberattack capabilities following its invasion of Ukraine, drawing attention to the underlying reasons. Despite possessing world-class cyberattack capabilities capable of engaging in cyber warfare with the United States, Ukraine's information and communication infrastructure continues to operate normally.

According to the international academic journal Nature on the 21st, Russia conducted large-scale cyberattacks around the time of its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. A few hours before crossing the border, it paralyzed the Ukrainian government's computer network using malicious code known as 'wiper.' Additionally, it launched massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, rendering Ukraine's financial network inoperable. However, Ukraine's core information and communication infrastructure?including telephone, internet, power, and public health systems?remains operational.

This situation is completely different from experts' expectations. Russia has conducted large-scale cyberattacks alongside major military operations such as the 2008 invasion of Georgia and the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Especially since 2014, as conflicts intensified, Ukraine has been a primary target of Russian cyberattacks. Trey Herr, a cybersecurity expert at the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Atlantic Council, said, "Russia has sufficient capability to disrupt enemy communication networks, organizations, and supply chains through cyberattacks," adding, "Many expected such strategies to be employed in this war, but that was not the case."

One perspective is that Russia's attack was so sudden that cyberattacks were not properly prepared. Conducting a proper cyberattack requires months of preparation. However, this invasion was abruptly decided and executed by the highest levels, possibly leaving the teams responsible for preparing and executing cyberattacks without proper orders.

Another analysis suggests that Russia deliberately avoided destroying infrastructure, believing it could swiftly occupy Ukraine. Janna Malekos Smith of the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) pointed out, "If Russia thought it could quickly occupy Ukraine, preserving infrastructure rather than destroying and rebuilding it would be more beneficial," adding, "Russia might be leaving communication facilities intact to eavesdrop and use them as intelligence sources."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Another issue is that large-scale cyberattacks could cause damage not only to Ukraine but also to other countries, provoking backlash. In fact, Russia faced severe criticism in 2017 when it launched hacking programs targeting financial software used by Ukrainian companies, which ended up affecting other countries as well. At that time, global damages were estimated at around $10 billion, including to Denmark's world-renowned shipping company Maersk. When Russia attacked the European satellite company Viasat on February 24 to disrupt Ukraine's internet service, thousands of wind turbines in Germany were also rendered inoperable.

However, experts analyze that if ground warfare becomes protracted and international financial sanctions intensify, Russia is likely to strengthen cyberattacks again. Russia may deploy cyber weapons such as ransomware to indiscriminately attack Ukraine and Western countries, causing chaos similar to the financial sanctions it has faced. In fact, hackers believed to be affiliated with Russia used ransomware in 2021 to shut down part of the U.S. oil supply chain for several days.

Meanwhile, civilian hackers who have joined either the Russian or Ukrainian sides are promising 'retaliation,' potentially igniting another cyber war. The Russian hacker group named 'Conti' recently declared it would retaliate against cyber threats to the Russian government. Conversely, international hacker organizations such as 'Anonymous' and 'IT Army' are condemning attacks on Ukraine and conducting cyber retaliation against Russia. Already, the Belarusian government, which supports Russia, has had its railway transportation system hacked by civilian hacker groups.