Major Ukraine Internet Provider Gets Hit With A Cyberattack

Ukraine's main internet provider is the latest victim of a cyberattack, over a month into the conflict with Russia.

(Photo : Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
Network cables are plugged in a server room on November 10, 2014 in New York City. U.S. President Barack Obama called on the Federal Communications Commission to implement a strict policy of net neutrality and to oppose content providers in restricting bandwith to customers.

According to a report by Yahoo, the company Ukrtelecom reported a cyberattack targeting its core infrastructure. This is enough to potentially disrupt the company's service nationwide, which is why it is being considered the "most severe" breach ever recorded since the war began.

The cyberattack was further confirmed by Ukrtelecom chief executive Yuriy Kurmaz. He says that they've been "forced" to restrict internet access to a lot of their enterprise and private consumers due to the attack. This decision was made so their services, which are being used by Ukraine's armed forces, won't be disrupted in any way.

Despite that, though, Kurmaz says that they have already fought back the attack. As a result, a gradual resumption of internet service across the war-torn country is expected within the foreseeable future. Cybersecurity specialists from the Ukrainian government had a helping hand in fighting back against the attack.

A Sudden, Massive Drop In Online Users

Cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks was among the first to notice an irregularity in the Ukraine telco's operations. According to the BBC, NetBlocks observed an increase in the number of users going offline. This was happening at a rate far beyond what could happen if it was an issue with cabling or other components of the service.

This is the latest in the series of multiple cyberattacks to hit Ukraine in the midst of the war with Russia, which the former has been fighting gallantly since the invasion began.

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Looking Ahead

Both the Ukrainian authorities and NetBlocks didn't provide any suspects who may have instigated the cybersecurity breach. For now, it remains unclear whether the attack has been made to specifically target the Ukrainian military, who relies a lot on Ukrtelecom's services.

Whoever it was that tried to take the ISP down, however, will have to see that their efforts are futile. That's because multiple tech companies have already stood by Ukraine to provide much-needed internet access to help with the war efforts. And perhaps there's no bigger company out there to voice out its support than Elon Musk's Starlink. 

(Photo : Starlink )

Earlier this month, the multibillionaire made it clear that he wants to help restore the war-torn country's connection. As such, he has sent shipments of his company's satellites to Ukraine earlier this month, providing much-needed internet in parts where there's not a lot of signals. And as of late, the Starlink satellites have proved to be a boon.

SoftServe, a software company based in Austin, TX but founded in Ukraine, has expressed gratitude to Musk and his efforts. This was conveyed by company CTO Alex Chubay, who said that the Starlink satellites are bringing "tremendous value" to Ukrainians who have been left without a stable connection since the war began, reports KVUE.

Related Article: Elon Musk Shares How Ukrainians Can Protect Starlink Terminals as SpaceX's Comms Systems Likely Targeted

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Written by RJ Pierce