Invasion of Ukraine - Raised Cyber Threat

I had not expected our first newsletter to be on so serious a topic. However, current geopolitical events do raise the threat profile of most countries and organisations in a material way.To the surprise of many analysts, cyber activities have played a relatively small role in this conflict to date despite at least four rounds of attacks involving several different techniques. This may of course change, and nation state actors are not the only players. As I write, I am tracking 16 different threat actors engaged in cyber action in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This includes groups such as Conti, who have (with some disagreement amongst themselves) decided to support Russia, others such as Anonymous who have decided to operate in support of Ukraine, and others simply looking to take advantage of the distraction. The only certainly is that malicious cyber activity - both criminal and activist driven - is likely to increase and be sustained, and that carries a risk of collateral damage even to countries and organisations that are not targeted. Economic pressures may further increase this. We can expect an increased threat level to persist for some time.Some may know I have a personal interest in this particular conflict. That does not affect our advice, which relates purely to the practical impact on cyber threats to the Island and what actions should be taken to address this. However, I visited St Helier Parish Hall this afternoon and spoke with the Polish Consul who was organising collections for those who have left their homes to seek safety. Should you wish to contribute to these humanitarian efforts donations of goods are being welcomed, and a vigil has been organised by the Bailiff at 6pm on Friday. Of course if you would like to discuss the cybersecurity advice in our notice below, you will find me there.Regards,Matt