As in Syria and the Balkans, Russia has deployed “online disinformation” as part of a military campaign. According to Fleming, the aim was to create mistrust among information sources, misrepresent Ukraine’s actions and spread false narratives about Russian intentions. “We have taken actions to contradict these twisted truths.”
From the beginning of the war, the British shared accurate information about its course. That information is based in part on classified intelligence from GCHQ. The US government also regularly shares intelligence with the world, even before the invasion. As a warning, but also to record Russian intentions and actions. Also, according to Fleming, the British are working with “Western technology platforms” to quickly remove Russian lies.
The GCHQ boss says “cyber” is a substantial part of the war and its influence extends far beyond the battlefield. “Both sides understand the potential of integrating cyber and information into their military approach,” Fleming wrote. ‘It is a very modern digital cyber war, just like it is a brutal and physically destructive war.’
Smooth cooperation
Russia has tried in various ways to digitally weaken Ukraine. By attacks on the rail system, customs and ministries, but also on a satellite system and internet providers. Only some of those attacks were successful. Fleming praised the Ukrainian defence, its own British intelligence position and the smooth cooperation with private parties that shared information about the attacks and made updates available to close security holes. The impact of Russia’s digital capabilities, Fleming writes, “is less than we (and they) expected.”
Christiaan Beek, head of research at security platform Trellix, which has several Ukrainian government customers, recognizes that image and says that Russian hackers tried to get in “by any means possible” early in the war. They did this with old malware with new code added, an indication that they were rushing to work. According to Beek, the destructive malware they used to destroy systems was ‘not of the caliber that we know from other Russian groups’. Beek thought they would keep the advanced malware on hand, but sees that there is now ‘less activity’. Beek: ‘What we are now seeing from Russia is less advanced. They are pinpricks, phishing emails with an attachment in which the malware is hidden.’
On the defensive
The fact that Russia is digitally on the defensive may be Ukraine’s credit. The country has proved quite capable of repelling Russian attacks on the digital infrastructure, thanks in part to the help of Western countries. It is known that for a year now Ukraine has been receiving assistance from NATO in securing crucial systems. Also, US and British cyber teams have been in the country since late December, a few months before the invasion, to keep the infrastructure free of Russian malware. “It is impossible to overestimate the importance of Ukraine’s cyber defense,” Fleming writes. “The experience of this country has shown that in the online world, the defending country has a choice in how vulnerable it is.”