Ukraine’s counteroffensive efforts fail to deter pro-Russian hackers

Ukrainian critical infrastructure, government networks, media organizations, and service providers have been facing persistent cyberattacks by pro-Russian hacking operations despite Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts amid its ongoing war with Russia, with State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine Deputy Chairman Victor Zhora anticipating a further escalation of pro-Russian cyber activity, CyberScoop reports. Despite continuous attacks against Ukraine, Russia has been noted by Ukrainian Cyber Alliance spokesperson Sean Townsend to have increased coordination with front hacking operations, such as Hacknet, SoIntsepek, and Zarya beginning this spring, a change from its former use of pro-Russian hacking groups for obtaining key intelligence between Ukraine and its allies. "They apparently realize that their usual method of communication simply doesn't work," said Townsend. Meanwhile, SentinelLabs Senior Threat Researcher Tom Hegel said that pro-Russian hackers have become more strategic in their attacks since the Russia-Ukraine war began over a year ago, which may be due to the increased involvement of advanced persistent threat groups.