Ukraine asks ‘volunteer hackers’ for help to defend against Russian cyberattacks
The Ukrainian government is asking for cyber defense expert volunteers to help take care of the European country’s cyberinfrastructure.
After Ukraine’s designated ambassador to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko requested technological help to strengthen “our cyber security capabilities”. More and more volunteers are joining the cause.
“Ukrainian cyber community! It’s time to get involved in our country’s cyber defense,” one post read, according to Reuters. The application asked hackers and computer security experts to submit via Google Docs, their specialties, whether an expert in spyware, ransomware, etc.
According to Reuters information, the co-founder of a cybersecurity company in Kyiv, Yegor Aushev, wrote the post soliciting hackers at the request of a senior Ukrainian Defense Ministry official.
the cyber front
Aushev-based cyber security firm Cyber Unit Technologies is known for working closely with the Ukrainian government in defending critical infrastructure.
Aushev said the volunteers will be divided into defensive and offensive cyber units. The defensive unit will focus on water and power systems. While the offensive units will help the army to carry out digital espionage operations.
No need to thank us, seriously. We’re just doing what we think is right because if no one stands up against oppression, who will? Everyone should be standing up at this point. We’re in 2022, not 1922. https://t.co/ZG7B65kpZ9
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) February 25, 2022
Anonymous is present
On the other hand, the decentralized group of hackers, Anonymous, has made a statement on their Twitter account announcing that they are involved in operations against the Russian Federation. “Our operations target the Russian government. It is inevitable that the private sector will also be affected.”
One of his registered acts is to have brought down the site RT.com, a web channel related to the Russian government.