Ukrainian internet service faces severe hacking

Ukraine’s internet service provider Ukrtelcom was under a “powerful” cyberattack, the Ukrainian government said on Monday.   

The attack has been neutralised as of 12:35 pm PT on Monday, said Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communication of Information Protection (SSSCIP) on Twitter.   

According NetBlocks, which tracks downtimes across the world, “a major internet disruption has been registered”. It further said that “real-time network data show(ed) connectivity collapsing to 13% of pre-war levels.”  

SSSCIP further said that in order to preserve its network infrastructure and to continue providing services to Ukraine’s Armed Forces and other military formations as well as to the customers, #Ukrtelecom has temporarily limited providing its services to the majority of private users and business-clients.   

In another statement issued on Monday, Yurii Shchyhol, Chairman, SSSCIP said, “The first in the human history cyberwar is underway.”  

Our main challenge today is the victory over the enemy on the battlefields, including cyberspace,” the SSSCIP said.  

“Every one of us can help in this fight by following the rules of cyber hygiene — not to open unknown messages, not to download the files whose origin is not clear, to treat critically all the incoming information,” it added.