As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, Ukraine has been hit by cyber attacks that have already spilled over to the rest of the world. Cyclonis Limited and its research partners are tracking Russia/Ukraine-related cyber attacks, and have compiled effective ways to help you protect yourself from attacks.
According to the Ukrainian government, these new cyber attacks are on a completely different level. Check Point Research found that during the first three days of the war, cyber attacks against the military and government sector in Ukraine increased by 196%.
Highly Destructive Malware Unleashed on Ukraine Has Spread Globally
The following destructive malware attacks have recently struck Ukraine and are already increasing security risks in other countries:
WhisperGate: Reportedly first appeared as early as January 13, 2022. This malware corrupts the system’s master boot record and, like a ransomware infection, encrypts specific files.
HermeticWiper: Reportedly first appeared on December 23, 2021. It erases Windows systems by corrupting their master boot records, preventing the OS from loading. This ransomware-like data wiper reportedly spread following distributed denial-of-service attacks against Ukrainian organizations.
CaddyWiper: Reportedly first detected on March 14, 2022. This malware destroys user data and partition information from connected drives.
Also Read: Leading Distributed Database Company, Cockroach Labs Expands into EMEA
How to Protect Yourself Against Russian Malware Attacks
Users can follow these guidelines to help to prevent these Russian malware attacks:
Stay alert. Don’t click unknown email attachments or random links because they may lead to malicious sites or install unwanted software.
Keep your software up-to-date.
Protect your computer from potential cyber attacks with a powerful anti-malware program like SpyHunter.
Use strong passwords that are unique. To help keep track of your passwords in one central place, use a reputable password manager like Cyclonis Password Manager.
Backup your data. Consider using a reliable cloud storage backup program like Cyclonis Backup to protect your important files.