The Russian cyberattacks that could bring West to its knees, including blackouts

RUSSIA is known for being particularly clever when it comes to all things cyber, so it’s no wonder western nations fear the worst.

From launching disinformation campaigns to unleashing sophisticated viruses, spy chiefs have long warned about the growing threat of Russian state-backed hacks.

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US President Joe Biden recently said that Vladimir Putin’s regime is “exploring” cyber attacks.

And the FBI has even told satellite operators of “possible threats” after one of the biggest, Viasat, was hit just as the war in Ukraine started.

So what sort of cyber attacks is the West scared about?

Critical infastructure

The most worrying would be a cyber strike on critical infrastructure like energy.

We’ve seen what Russia is capable of here, after it was blamed for a cyber attack on Ukraine’s electricity grid in 2015.

The so-called BlackEnergy malware caused a blackout for around 80,000 households lasting several hours.

And that’s not the only incident in Ukraine.

Russia has been linked to others as well, in an apparent display to everyone else of what they’re capable of.

Experts tell the BBC that Putin could try this on the West as well, but it would be risky as a similar assault could be launched back.

We’re also yet to see an attack that has caused lasting power disruption.

Ransomware

Ransomware is prolific but Russia was blamed for one of the worst, called NotPetya.

These lock people’s files, telling victims the only way they can get them back is by paying a ransom, usually in cryptocurrency so it can’t be traced.

But as experts say, you should never pay, because perpetrators will just keep demanding more.

NotPetya hit a piece of accounting software used in Ukraine back in 2017, before spreading worldwide and causing billions in damage.

While Russia could scale such attacks against the West, it too runs the risk of affecting its own people, which probably isn’t a good idea.

For this reason, businesses and people alike have been told to beef up their cyber defences.

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In other news, the new Harry Potter video game Hogwarts Legacy will feature some familiar faces despite being set hundreds of years before the majority of characters were even born.

A major Mars mission to find out whether life ever existed on the planet could be delayed by up to six years at best, as Europe scrambles to replace Russian parts.

Internet users have been urged not to use a popular piece of anti-virus software over fears it could be exploited by the Kremlin to spy or launch cyberattacks.

And Instagram could be planning to bring back a way to see what your friends like on the platform.

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