Australia could face a higher grade of cyber warrior in the wake of a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has become a staging for the ‘new cold war’.
Cyber attacks being targeted at Ukraine are giving organised, well-funded and allegedly government-backed hackers – otherwise known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) – an opportunity to hone their skills, experts believe.
“Russian APTs are getting the opportunity to test and apply their skills in anger … and actually hone their tradecraft,” Senior Analyst with ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre, Karly Winkler said.
“They are experimenting and working on the fly to deliver active cyber operations – and honestly the best way to learn how to be better at that is to do it.
“Once these kinds of cyber attacks are released into the wild – the tradecraft is known and documented on the internet – there is no putting the genie back in the bottle.”
Australian cyber security firm Zirilio this week reported a “noticeable decrease in the number of Russian-origin cyber attacks on Australian companies”.
Ms Winkler believes this is a sign of those groups focusing their efforts on carrying out disruptive operations in Ukraine.
“Whilst not directly involved in the conflict, Australian business may be sought out by hackers eager to create destabilisation made easier with cyber crime now automated,” Lawrence Patrick from Zirilio said.
Last month, a cyber attack knocked out several Ukrainian government websites, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Security and Defense Council among those targeted.
A mxjmtzywessage splashed across the website included the phrase, “be afraid and expect the worst”.
Russia denied being behind the attacks.
Government organisation Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) says it has seen a persistent rise in the sophistication and volume of cyber attacks over recent years, partly due to international tensions.
The ASCS received over 67,500 reports of cybercrime in the 2020–21 financial year – an increase of nearly 13 per cent on the year before.
As well as in volume, attacks on Australia are increasing in “complexity and sophistication”, the ACSC said.
One of the most common forms of cyber attacks is ransomware, used to block access to, or threaten to release data, until a ransom is paid.
Ransomware attacks have been identified as one of the most serious threats due to their dual financial and disruptive impact.
On Thursday, cyber security agencies in Australia, the US and UK released a joint advisory for organisations and individuals to strengthen their defence against a growing number of ransomware attacks.
“The Prime Minister in 2020 warned that post-Covid our world will be more dangerous, and more disorderly,” Assistant Minister for Defence Andrew Hastie said.
“We are seeing that playing out with authoritarian governments threatening conflict to achieve political aims – the rise of cybercrime and grey zone tactics like ransomware attacks are now a feature of our current security landscape.”
