Cyber Security Threat Summary:
A new report by Cyjax warns of an increase in cyberattacks from Russia targeting Ukraine and its allies as the Winter season approaches. According to researchers, Russia’s missile production is struggling to keep pace with its tactical, operational, and strategic usage, due to economic sanctions and a shortage of workers. To overcome this slowdown of kinetic warfare, Russia will likely resort to cyberwarfare to prevent Ukraine from regaining the offensive and hinder supplies and equipment from its Western allies.

Security Officer Comments:
Since the conflict in Ukraine was initiated Russia has employed various tactics including ensuing disinformation campaigns and employing destructive wiper malware. Although Russia has recently struggled to develop novel malware due to a shortage of security professionals, we will likely see a continuation of cyberattacks targeting Ukraine and its allies to gain an operational advantage in the war.

Suggested Correction(s):
To reduce the impact of cyberattacks from Russia this Winter, the following measures should be taken:

• Reduce the attack surface by minimizing what is stored on the internet
• Move faster in sharing threat actor intentions and vulnerability warnings cross borders
• Encourage governments to step in to fix vulnerabilities when an imminent threat is detected