> series: anatomy_of_a_breach —— part: 158 —— event: russia_invades_ukraine —— cyber: viasat_wipers_ddos —— context: first_large-scale_cyber_war<span class="cursor-blink">_</span>_
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Hours before the first missiles struck, a cyber attack targeted Viasat's KA-SAT satellite network — deploying 'AcidRain' wiper malware to satellite modems across Europe. The attack disrupted Ukrainian military and government communications at the moment they were most needed, and caused collateral damage to thousands of Enercon wind turbines in Germany that relied on the same satellite network for remote monitoring.
The satellite attack was one component of a broader cyber offensive that had begun weeks before the physical invasion. Multiple wiper malware variants — HermeticWiper, IsaacWiper, CaddyWiper, WhisperGate — were deployed against Ukrainian government agencies, banks, and infrastructure. DDoS attacks hit Ukrainian government websites. And disinformation campaigns targeted both Ukrainian and international audiences. The conflict represented the most extensive integration of cyber operations into conventional warfare ever documented — confirming the theoretical scenarios that had been debated since Stuxnet (2010) and the Ukraine power grid attack (2015).
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Free Scoping CallThe Russia-Ukraine conflict created heightened cyber risk for UK organisations — particularly those in critical infrastructure, defence supply chains, financial services, and energy. The NCSC's guidance to strengthen defences was not theoretical — it reflected assessed threat intelligence about potential Russian cyber operations targeting Western countries. Cyber Essentials addresses the baseline controls the NCSC recommends. Our penetration testing validates these controls. SOC in a Box provides 24/7 monitoring at heightened alert levels. And UK Cyber Defence's threat intelligence provides awareness of conflict-related threats targeting UK organisations.
<a href="/cyber-essentials">Cyber Essentials</a> provides the baseline the NCSC recommends. <a href="/penetration-testing">Penetration testing</a> validates controls. <a href="https://www.socinabox.co.uk">SOC in a Box</a> monitors at heightened alert.
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