Hacker attack on Ukraine's state registries is painful, but not catastrophic - cybersecurity expert

He shared this on Espreso TV.

“The Russian cyberattack on Ukraine's state registries is not a disaster, but it is very serious and very painful. In fact, it is the largest attack on Ukrainian registries and databases in the country’s history, with the most devastating effects. As for how it happened, these are not websites. Websites are public-facing, accessible to everyone. State registries are a completely different matter. They are hidden infrastructures, not publicly visible, with many servers storing vast amounts of sensitive information - such as details about citizens, marriages, property, and more. This data can be accessed upon request,” Korsun explained.

The expert added that the results of the investigation into the cyberattack on state registries are unlikely to be made public.

“There are different ways to attack these servers. For example, through social engineering - where an employee might click on a malicious link - or via technical means. It’s also possible there was an insider involved, helping the attackers. Investigations are underway, but it's unlikely we will be informed of the findings. Unfortunately, this attack appears to have been successful for the Russians,” Korsun concluded.

• On December 20, Ukrainian Unified and State Registers and the website of the Ministry of Justice were temporarily unavailable due to large-scale Russian cyberattack.