Security News > 2022 > May > E.U. Blames Russia for Cyberattack on KA-SAT Satellite Network Operated by Viasat

The Five Eyes nations comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S., along with Ukraine and the European Union, formally pinned Russia for masterminding an attack on an international satellite communication provider that had "Spillover" effects across Europe.

The cyber offensive, which took place one hour before the Kremlin's military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, targeted the KA-SAT satellite network operated by telecommunications company Viasat, crippling the operations of wind farms and internet users in central Europe.

"This cyberattack had a significant impact causing indiscriminate communication outages and disruptions across several public authorities, businesses and users in Ukraine, as well as affecting several E.U. Member States," the Council of the European Union said.

Calling it a deliberate and unacceptable cyberattack, the nations pointed fingers at Russia for its "Continued pattern of irresponsible behavior in cyberspace, which also formed an integral part of its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine."

The attribution comes as Ukraine has been at the receiving end of a number of destructive attacks directed at public and private sector networks since the start of the year, launched as part of Russia's "Hybrid" warfare strategy in concert with ground warfare.

"Russian hackers have been waging war against Ukraine in the cyberspace for the past eight years," the State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection of Ukraine said in a statement, adding they "Pose a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the whole world."

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2022/05/eu-blames-russia-for-cyberattack-on-ka.html