December 12, 2023 at 05:30PM
Kyivstar, the largest mobile network operator in Ukraine, suffered a massive cyberattack disrupting mobile and internet communications for millions. CEO Oleksandr Komarov attributed the attack to the war with Russia, impacting its IT infrastructure and air raid alert system. The attack is believed to be the largest in the history of the global telecom market.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting Notes:
1. Kyivstar, the largest mobile network operator in Ukraine, suffered a massive cyberattack on December 12, 2023, impacting millions of mobile and internet users.
2. The cyberattack disrupted both mobile and home internet communications for Kyivstar’s 25 million mobile subscribers and over 1 million home internet customers.
3. Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov attributed the cyberattack to the ongoing war with Russia, stating that the company’s IT infrastructure had been partially destroyed.
4. The cyberattack affected the system used to send air raid alerts in parts of Kyiv and brought the company’s main website offline.
5. Kyivstar’s parent company, VEON Ltd., confirmed the widespread nature of the attack and emphasized that the personal data of subscribers had not been compromised.
6. A security researcher noted that while the attack was impactful, the mobile telecommunications systems were configured for increased resilience to disruption.
7. The infamous pro-Russia hacker group Killnet claimed responsibility for the attack, but their capabilities were questioned by security analysts.
8. Analysts suggested that the attack was likely the work of Russian-allied actors and part of a broader cyber warfare landscape targeting critical infrastructure.
9. Kyivstar reported that it had partially restored the operation of fixed-line services and was working towards fully restoring other services by December 13, 2023.
10. The cyberattack on Kyivstar was noted as one of the most significant events in cyberspace to affect Ukraine since the 2022 cyberattack on Viasat during Russia’s invasion.