Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters – Attackers on the Ukrainian government website websites may have been using software administration rights from a third-party company, according to a high ranking Ukrainian security official.

SerhiyDemedyuk was the deputy secretary for the national defense and security council. He said that Ukraine was trying to determine who had such access.

These comments provide the first comprehensive explanation as to how several Ukrainian websites were targeted by cyber attacks. This warning came at a moment when Russia is building troops close to Ukraine’s borders.

Demedyuk wrote that “according to our preliminary conclusions, today’s attack was due to third parties accessing the software administration rights a company which had an advantage when developing websites for governments agencies.”

Demedyuk who was the former head of Ukraine’s cyber police, stated that “the specified software had been used since 2016 in order to create websites to government agencies. Most of these became victims of today’s incident.”

The third company was not named by him.

Ukraine said on Friday the cyberattack hit around 70 internet sites of government bodies including the security and defence council https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/expect-worst-ukraine-hit-by-cyberattack-russia-moves-more-troops-2022-01-14.

Demedyuk claimed that Demedyuk’s statements were only preliminary findings.

He said that law enforcement agencies must conduct many investigations of digital evidence seized and to determine how and who received such privilege administrative access through outside interference or due to the illegal actions of insiders in the company.

Demedyuk declined to say the identity of the attackers, but the Ukrainian foreign ministry and state security service suspect Russia.

Russia didn’t comment but previously denied that it was behind cyberattacks against Ukraine.