• Russian hackers hit Kyivstar, undetected for months.
• Cyberattack destroys Kyivstar, disrupts services for 24 million.
• Ukrainian spy chief warns of rising global cyber warfare threat.

Ukraine’s cybersecurity head, Illia Vitiuk, issued a chilling warning to the Western world, revealing the extent of a devastating cyberattack orchestrated by Russian hackers on the country’s telecom giant, Kyivstar.

According to Vitiuk, the hackers infiltrated Kyivstar’s system in May of the previous year, remaining undetected for months before unleashing a destructive operation that compromised the core of the telecommunications operator.

“This attack is a big message, a big warning, not only to Ukraine, but for the whole Western world to understand that no one is actually untouchable,” emphasized Vitiuk, highlighting the severity and implications of the cyber assault.

Despite significant investments in cybersecurity by Kyivstar, the attack resulted in the destruction of crucial infrastructure, causing widespread service outages for approximately 24 million users for several days starting from December 12. Vitiuk described the attack as a first-of-its-kind, where a telecoms operator’s core was completely destroyed, marking a significant escalation in cyber warfare on civil infrastructure.

The multifaceted attack had devastating consequences, wiping out almost everything and posing threats beyond service disruption. Vitiuk outlined that the hackers aimed not only to cause physical destruction but also to strike a psychological blow and gather intelligence by accessing phone locations, personal information, messages, and potentially stealing social media accounts.

Kyivstar, while downplaying the extent of the damage, assured that no leakage of personal and subscriber data had been identified. However, the company is collaborating with the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) to thoroughly investigate the attack.

Vitiuk revealed that there were ongoing attempts to deal more damage to the operator, emphasizing the persistent and evolving nature of cyber threats. He also disclosed that over 4,500 major cyberattacks had been thwarted on Ukrainian governmental bodies and critical infrastructure. Despite the severity of the attack on Kyivstar, Vitiuk concluded that there was no significant impact on Ukraine’s military.

As the cyber warfare landscape continues to evolve, the stark warning from Ukraine’s cyber spy chief serves as a crucial reminder of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures on a global scale.

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