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Ukrainian gov't websites down after multiple cyberattacks amid Russian invasion

Officials said the malware attacks targeting Ukraine's government were distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which involve disrupting traffic by overwhelming it with bots. File Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA
1 of 4 | Officials said the malware attacks targeting Ukraine's government were distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which involve disrupting traffic by overwhelming it with bots. File Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA

Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Various websites belonging to the government of Ukraine were down on Thursday following multiple cyberattacks that coincided with Russia's military actions in the region, and many suspect that Moscow is responsible.

Experts say that a data-wiping tool was found on hundreds of Ukrainian computers hours before government websites were hit on Wednesday, raising concerns that a larger cyberattack was coming.

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"We are aware of multiple commercial and government organizations in Ukraine impacted by the destructive malware," Charles Carmakalsenior, vice president of cybersecurity firm Mandiant, told CNN.

The first attacks against Ukrainian cyber infrastructure were reported on Wednesday and targeted key government operations, ahead of an invasion by Russian forces into Ukraine early Thursday.

Russian armored vehicles are seen on a road in the Rostov region of Russia on Tuesday. Russian forces made incursions into Ukraine early on Thursday that coincided with multiple cyberattacks against Ukrainian government websites. Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE

Last month, U.S. officials warned that Russia would likely use cyberattacks as part of its actions in Ukraine. President Joe Biden indicated that the United States would respond with cyber operations of its own.

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The attacks affected websites belonging to Ukraine's ministries of defense, interior, foreign affairs, infrastructure and education. Attacks on Wednesday targeted websites of Ukrainian parliament, security service, and cabinet of ministers.

Officials said the attacks were distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which involve disrupting traffic by overwhelming it with bots.

It's believed that the data-wiping hack Thursday was caused by a "wiper" malware and could be more devastating to Kyiv's cyber infrastructure. The malware deletes data from computers and renders them inoperable.

The hack, which hit at least one Ukrainian financial institution and two government contractors, was created two months ago, according to threat analyst Jean-Ian Boutin. Officials are concerned that the hack could disrupt transportation and media networks in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet that he and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte were in discussions to fight back against cyberattacks.

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