Major Russian Communications Provider Hacked
700 Files Leaked To Telegram
Overt Operator
July 03, 2023
In a startling digital assault, an unidentified hacker collective has successfully disrupted the operations of Dozor-Teleport, a major Russian satellite communications provider. The attack was reportedly confirmed by
The cyberattack, impacting vital services used by both energy corporations and the nation's defense and security agencies, has sent shockwaves through Russia's digital landscape.
The hackers behind this audacious operation claim association with the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization financed by the Russian military.
Wagner PMC made recent global headlines when it orchestrated a short-lived coup. The coup was abruptly called off by its commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who then sought refuge in Belarus.
The legitimacy of the hackers' affiliation with the Wagner Group has been met with skepticism, especially given the conspicuous silence on the matter from the Wagner Group's official Telegram channel.
Despite these questions over the hacker group's claimed association, the tangible effects of their cyber onslaught are undeniably real. The group inflicted substantial damage on satellite terminals and breached confidential data stored on Dozor's servers. In a brazen act of data leakage, they released 700 files—comprising documents and images—on a leak site and a newly created Telegram channel.
One of the documents disclosed via Telegram indicates a potential agreement that permits Russian security services to access subscriber data from Amtel Svyaz. However, the authenticity of these files remains unproven.
Dozor-Teleport, in response, has acknowledged the cyberattack. While the operator has managed to restore a significant portion of its services, it anticipates a timeline of several weeks to completely repair the network and replace the damaged equipment.
This cyberattack on Dozor-Teleport is not an isolated incident. It marks the second significant breach of a satellite telecommunications service provider, following the cyber attack on Viasat during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an incident that also had ripple effects on wind turbines in Germany, Cyber Peace Institute reported.
While Viasat's network is considerably larger and only a fraction of its routers experienced disruption, the similarities between these incidents have raised alarm bells about the vulnerability of satellite communication systems. The potential for their exploitation in future cyber warfare is a growing concern.
As the investigation into the Dozor-Teleport cyberattack continues, it underscores the inherent vulnerabilities in satellite communication systems, accentuating the latent threats to national security. This incident serves as a chilling reminder of the escalating cyber warfare landscape, where key infrastructures are not just targets, but also potential weapons.
The ramifications of these attacks transcend national borders, exposing global inter dependencies and vulnerabilities in an increasingly digital world.