GET IT ALL: What are the consequences of the cyber attack on the Ukrainian nuclear operator?

Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom announced on August 16, 2022 that it had been the victim of a Russian cyber attack described as “unprecedented”, as the war continues between the two countries. The state company published the information on its social networks.

• Who is behind the attack?

The organization behind the attack is the “People’s Cyber ​​Army”, a group of hackers who carry out ad hoc attacks and use Telegram messaging to organize them. It is also through this channel that he claimed responsibility for the attack on Energoatom. According to The worldThe group reportedly has around 8,000 subscribers on their channel.

It is a notoriously pro-Russian group, which mainly organizes attacks aimed at destabilizing companies or government websites, without the consequences being irreversible.

Shortly after the Energoatom cyberattack, the “People’s Cyber ​​Army” claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram account and then asked its members to turn to another website, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory.

• What type of attack is it?

To carry out this assault, the group carried out a so-called “denial of service” attack. They used 7.25 million “bots”, which caused hundreds of millions of visits to the main page of the website, putting their servers at risk.

This type of attack has been used regularly by Russian hackers in recent months, particularly against institutional sites and Ukrainian companies.

• What consequences for nuclear power plants in Ukraine?

While Energoatom’s website was affected, nuclear power plants operated by Energoatom are not affected by the attack. In fact, the denial-of-service cyberattack aims above all to destabilize the group by giving it a negative image. In fact, it is impossible, by this means, to affect the operation of nuclear power plants without direct physical access.

• What is the situation at the Zaporizhia NPP?

This news is further analyzed as Energoatom manages the power plant in Zaporizhia, at the center of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Fighting breaks out there, with the two countries accusing each other of bombing the infrastructure.

The plant is currently occupied by Russian forces, who intend to connect it with Crimea. The general situation raises, on the part of the international community, the evident fear of a nuclear catastrophe. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that it was “urgent” that an “inspection” of the plant be carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).