UKRAINE AND RUSSIA AT WAR
Today, Russian forces invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea. Missiles have been pouring down on Ukrainian cities with The New York Times reporting dozens of casualties. The invasion has also taken out mobile networks in the country and data transmission has been paralyzed. While Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, claims that the strike aims to squash the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has said:
“These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War.”
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, echoed these sentiments stating that Russia had chosen “the path of bloodshed and destruction.”
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR EUROPE AND THE WORLD
Ukraine at war with Russia poses a clear and present danger to a global economy that is still recovering from the pandemic. Any ongoing conflict between Russia and its neighbour will have frightening ramifications including a massive disruption of energy and commodities markets. In the wake of the Russian invasion, stock markets have been wobbling while the US dollar has strengthened significantly, increasing 6% against the Russian ruble alone. Brent oil surged past $100/barrel for the first time since 2014.
THE CYBERSECURITY IMPACT
The war in Ukraine is much more than bloodshed, destruction and economic upheaval. In 2017, the Kremlin was accused of the NotPetya malware that swamped websites of Ukrainian organizations. Similar infections spread to 64 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. CNBC has reported that several Ukrainian government websites were subjected to mass DDoS (Distributed-Denial-of-Service) attacks yesterday and it is believed that Russia will use an onslaught of cyberattacks to nullify Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Those attacks won’t be confined to Ukraine and infiltration will be on an international scale.
DO THIS NOW
We pretty much knew that Russia would invade Ukraine. It is also acknowledged that the country is a mastermind perpetrator of cybercrime and hacking. Now is the time to more vigilant than ever regarding your cybersecurity. Start with these 5 strategies:
- Use MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
- Don’t be lazy – use strong passwords
- Apply security updates to software, hardware, anti-virus and anti-malware
- Engage in cybersecurity training
- Be wary of all suspicious emails
Zhero can help every step of the way. Unlike Ukraine, you don’t need to become a victim of cybercrime. Act now
