On this particular documentary version of ThreatWise TV, we check out the folks behind Talos’ efforts to guard Ukrainian important infrastructure, and focus on the non-public affect on the groups concerned. Comprises pictures of battle that some viewers might discover upsetting.
Simply over a 12 months in the past, the information started to emerge that Russia declared battle on Ukraine. A full-scale land, air, and sea invasion started.
A couple of months prior, through the build-up, the Cisco Talos group carefully monitored the state of affairs. We thought primarily in regards to the security of our colleagues and companions based mostly within the area.
Not too removed from the backs of our minds had been the relentless and focused cyberattacks towards Ukraine over the previous seven plus years, which had wreaked havoc on their infrastructure.
As extra tanks arrived on the border, the Talos group questioned about an invisible battle. A kind of battle that doesn’t require anybody to step in a constructing however might be leveraged to destabilize Ukraine’s important infrastructure.
From November 2021, we readied ourselves to assist our Ukrainian companions, wherever it was wanted.
The story of Talos’ relationship with Ukraine goes again a few years.
In 2015, Russian adversaries used damaging malware to trigger blackouts throughout Ukraine. That very same group was discovered to be answerable for many different destabilizing assaults, together with makes an attempt to disrupt elections in France, the NotPetya assault which brought on billions of {dollars} in injury around the globe, and Olympic Destroyer, the place damaging malware was used to interrupt the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
After the Black Power assaults, Talos reached out to our gross sales group based mostly in Ukraine. We needed to see if we may develop ties with key cybersecurity companions, authorities businesses, and safety researchers who had been based mostly there. And discover out methods we may assist shield towards cyber assaults from our frequent adversaries.
Our Ukrainian companions wanted to study to belief us. However belief us they did. The bonds that we have now created with these individuals are inherently sturdy, and it’s one of many the reason why the invasion of Ukraine feels so deeply private to us.
About three months earlier than the Russian invasion, and witnessing the construct up, the group reached out and supplied help to our Ukrainian companions. Evacuation plans for Cisco workers based mostly within the nation started to take form.
As soon as the invasion began, Cisco prolonged a proposal to Ukrainian governmental organizations and significant infrastructure. We might provide them with our safety software program and companies freed from cost, in addition to devoted risk hunters. There was no definitive finish date to this provide.
A whole bunch of individuals throughout Cisco additionally acquired in contact with Talos to supply their help, from creating refugee packages, to contributing to open-source intelligence.
Our dedication to defending Ukrainian important infrastructure from cyberattacks continues. We hope that peace and luxury come shortly to our Ukrainian pals, companions, and allies.
It has been an awfully emotional and difficult journey for everybody in Talos and Cisco who’re a part of these efforts. It stays so.
I’m proud to assist inform their story.
Additional sources:
We’d love to listen to what you assume. Ask a Query, Remark Under, and Keep Linked with Cisco Safe on social!
Cisco Safe Social Channels
Share: