After the decision in Berlin to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, numerous German websites were paralyzed by cyber attacks. The pro-Russian self-proclaimed hacktivist group KillNet claimed responsibility for the attacks.
“This type of response in cyberspace comes as no surprise; she is to be expected. For years, Mandiant has pursued several self-proclaimed hacktivist groups that support Russian interests or act out of a perceived patriotic duty.
We believe with moderate certainty that the KillNet and XakNet groups have historically coordinated some of their activities directly and have ties to the GRU. These groups primarily focus on conducting DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. However, we have also observed groups and individuals attempting to run disinformation campaigns or share stolen data from affected companies.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, we have undoubtedly seen an increase in campaigns, usually in response to Western countries, NATO, the EU, or even certain corporations supporting Ukraine. As the war in Ukraine continues, the risk and scope of these cyber threats and more targeted state-sponsored espionage campaigns will increase. Businesses need to update their risk profile to reflect the current geopolitical landscape.” – Jens Monrad, Head of Client Intelligence, EMEA at Google Cloud.
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About Mandiant Mandiant is a recognized leader in dynamic cyber defense, threat intelligence and incident response. With decades of experience on the cyber frontline, Mandiant helps organizations confidently and proactively defend against cyber threats and respond to attacks. Mandiant is now part of Google Cloud.
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