Ukraine issues warning to its citizens regarding possible cyber attacks on Orthodox Easter

As Orthodox Easter (Sunday, April 24) nears, Ukraine has warned its citizens regarding cyberattacks on the said day, which is regarded as one of the most significant holidays of the year. Earlier on Saturday, the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine warned civilians in the war-ravaged country that cyberattacks at the behest of the enemy may intensify on Easter. It also stated that owing to Russia's military operation in Ukraine, not everyone will be able to celebrate the holiday with family and friends this year.

State Special Communications Service of Ukraine mentioned in a Telegram post that the enemy may utilise the strategy of deploying virtual greetings to a large group of people via messengers and e-mails to try new cyberattacks. It further stated that as they have seen many times before, hostile hackers usually employ topical and sensitive topics for Ukrainians that are most "touching" to the people of the nation. It further advised the citizens to take care and not be the victims of cybercriminals and asked them not to click on any links sent to them by strangers.

Links and attachments should not be opened by the Ukrainians

Ukraine's Communications Service made it clear that even if the attachment appears to be conventional greeting cards or holiday videos at first glance, it should not be opened by the Ukrainians. It also asked the people to not spread any information obtained from unknown sources and urged them to check if their social media accounts are as secure as they can be under possible cyber attack. It also advised creating a two-step verification process for logging in, which will protect their social media handles from being hacked.

The Communications Service also asked the citizens to examine official sources for any information they receive. It further stated that the people need to be extra careful during Easter, since the adversary may stage a provocation. It also is urged that people avoid huge gatherings at religious places.

The US says Russia is considering cyber-attacks against countries backing Ukraine

In the meantime, the United States and its allies have warned that "developing evidence" shows Russia is considering cyberattacks against countries backing Ukraine, according to the Guardian. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched military aggression in Ukraine on February 24 and since then the Russian forces have continued to attack Ukraine. However, Ukraine has put strong resistance against the Russian Federation.

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