US spy agency probes sabotage of satellite internet during Russian invasion
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Western intelligence agencies are investigating a cyberattack by unidentified hackers that disrupted broadband satellite internet access in Ukraine coinciding with Russia's invasion, according to three people with direct knowledge of the incident.Analysts for the US National Security Agency, French government cybersecurity organization ANSSI, and Ukrainian intelligence are assessing whether the remote sabotage of a satellite internet provider's service was the work of Russian-state backed hackers preparing the battlefield by attempting to sever communications. The consequences are still being investigated but satellite modems belonging to tens of thousands of customers in Europe were knocked offline, according to an official of US telecommunications firm Viasat, which owns the affected network.The hackers disabled modems that communicate with Viasat Inc's KA-SAT satellite, which supplies internet access to some customers in Europe, including Ukraine. More than two weeks later some remain offline, resellers told Reuters. "Traditional land-based radios only reach so far. If you’re using modern smart systems, smart weapons, trying to do combined arms maneuvers, then you must rely on these satellites," said Breuer.The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Moscow has repeatedly rejected allegations that it participates in cyberattacks.Russian soldiers have besieged Ukrainian cities in what the Kremlin describes as a "de-Nazification" operation that has been denounced by the West as an unprovoked assault and led to severe sanctions against Moscow as punishment. "The network is stabilized and we are restoring service and activating terminals as quickly as possible," spokesperson Chris Phillips said in an email, adding that the company was prioritizing "critical infrastructure and humanitarian assistance."The Viasat official wasn’t explicit about what the "management section" of the network referred to and declined to provide further details. KA-SAT and its associated ground stations, which Viasat purchased last year from European company Eutelsat, are still operated by a Eutelsat subsidiary. A message seeking comment from the Ukrainian military was not immediately returned.Some internet distributors are still waiting to replace their devices.Stritecky, the Czech telecom executive, said he did not blame Viasat.He recalled coming into work on the morning of the invasion and seeing a monitor showing regional satellite coverage in the Czech Republic, neighbouring Slovakia, and Ukraine all in red."It was immediately clear what happened," he said.