The Ukrainian government's military intelligence service claims to have hacked the Russian Federal Tax Service (FNS) and deleted the agency's database and backups.
Officers of the Ukrainian military services hacked the central servers of the Russian tax service and 2,300 regional servers across Russia and the occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ultimately, the breach led to the infection of all compromised servers with malware , as well as the hacking of a Russian IT company that provides data center services to the FNS.
The attack also reportedly led to the complete deletion of configuration files, which were important for the functionality of Russia's tax system in general. The Ukrainian hackers say they deleted both the database and backups.
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According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), the effects of the cyberattack were severe, as it disrupted communication between the Moscow headquarters and the 2,300 departments that were also affected by the attack.
It was a major cyberattack on a vital government agency. Military hackers got their hands on Russian tax data, which they deleted from the agency's systems.
Problems in the Russian tax system could last a month
Despite ongoing efforts to restore services , problems still exist, with GUR estimating that the paralysis of the Russian tax system will continue for at least a month.
“ This means complete destruction of the infrastructure of one of the main state actors of terrorist Russia and numerous related tax data for a long period of time ,” GUR said
Ukraine's claims regarding the attack have not yet been confirmed by an independent body .
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This is the second time Ukraine has officially claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against Russia. GUR said it hacked Federal Aviation Administration (Rosaviatsia) last month.
These attacks show that the cyberwar between Russiaand Ukraine continues, with military cyber intelligence units attempting to disrupt critical Russian infrastructure.
Ukraine's largest telecoms provider, Kyivstar , was also hit by a cyberattack that disrupted internet and mobile phone services. Although it has not been confirmed, Russian hackers are believed to be behind the attack
Cyberwar between Russia and Ukraine and its consequences
A potential impact of the cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia is an increase in attacks targeting critical infrastructure and communication systems. This could lead to unrest and disruption in the society and economy of both countries.
Another possible impact is the deterioration of relations between the two countries, while a regular war is taking place at the same time. cyberattackscan also cause a sense of insecurity and threat, which can lead to increased tensions and the isolation of the two countries in the international community.
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In addition, cyberwarfare can have economic consequences, as cyberattacks can cause damage to businesses and organizations in both Russia and Ukraine. Data loss, service disruption, and intellectual property theft can have negative impacts on the economy and development of both countries.
Finally, cyberwarfare can also have political implications. Cyberattacks can be used as a means of political influence and pressure to achieve specific political goals. This can lead to changes in the political direction and relations of the two countries with other international bodies.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
