Cyberattacks have played a significant role in the war in Ukraine. Officials in Washington and Kyiv have blamed Russian hackers for targeting satellite systems and using digital assaults to execute disinformation and psychological warfare campaigns. Victor Zhora, the deputy chairman of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, is actively involved in defending against those attacks and talks to Safe Mode about the evolution of cyberwar in Ukraine. CyberScoop reporter AJ Vicens also joins the show to talk about his reporting on the cybercrime underworld and hacker forums such as BreachForums.

Victor Zhora on the frontlines of digital war between Ukraine and Russia

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, it was immediately apparent that the conflict would in part be waged in cyberspace. As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, Russian forces also launched a cyberattack against satellite modems that impacted the Ukrainian military’s ability to communicate. Since then, Russian cyberattacks have been a regular feature of the conflict — but on the other side, Ukrainian hackers are also going after Russian targets and are frequently leaking stolen documents online. On today’s episode of Safe Mode, Stefan Soesanto, a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, sits down with host Elias Groll to discuss his research on how Ukrainian hacking groups are operating in the war. CyberScoop reporter Derek B. Johnson also joins the show to discuss a cyberattack on a Georgia county that prompted state officials to cut the county off from statewide election infrastructure.

Stefan Soesanto on Ukrainian hack and leak ops; cyberattack in Georgia

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