Build Resilience Amid Rising Risk of Russian Cyberthreats

The predicted invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has begun, and with it, the risk of cyber warfare against Ukraine’s supporters has escalated. In the run-up to the invasion, Russia deployed offensive cyber operations against Ukrainian Government websites and infrastructure. With the invasion now fully underway, an escalation of cyberattacks is expected to include critical Western infrastructure, banks, hospitals, and other high-value targets.

In addition to Russian state-sponsored operations against their opponents, we expect cybercriminal enterprises in Russia to be given the green light to escalate their operations against Western countries with a suggestion that the Russian state will turn a blind eye to their activities.

The Nature of Russian State-Sponsored Attacks

Most planned attacks arrive with volumetric and nuisance threats—as in the “shock and awe” tactic we’re seeing via the onslaught of DDoS attacks. However, these threats often provide air cover while attackers lay the groundwork for the main event. Organizations should assume that once a fast-and-furious attack dies down, a far more destructive attack is in the works.