Cyber combatants from Eastern Europe confronting repressive governments
In the digital realm, two formidable forces have emerged, challenging the status quo and shaking the foundations of authoritarian regimes. The Cyber Partisans and the IT Army of Ukraine, both hacktivist collectives, have been making headlines for their relentless pursuit of digital freedom.
The Cyber Partisans, a Belarusian collective, first came to light during the mass protests against Lukashenko's regime in 2020. Operating with strict secrecy to protect their identities and the safety of their relatives, they manage their media presence well through their spokesperson. Their counterparts, the IT Army of Ukraine, specialize in large-scale DDoS attacks, causing widespread disruptions across Russia.
Russian cybersecurity firm F6 identified the IT Army of Ukraine as the most active hacking group targeting Russian digital infrastructure in 2024. The Ukrainian IT Army aims to keep valuable assets offline for days, improving upon past operations. This focus on high-value targets has resulted in estimated economic losses of nearly 1.2 billion US dollars in 2024.
The IT Army of Ukraine's operations extend beyond mere disruptions. They assist ground troops with intelligence from cyber breaches and use DDoS attacks as smokescreens. In January 2022, they hacked Belarusian Railways to disrupt Russian troop movements to Ukraine's border.
The Belarusian Cyber Partisans, led by an individual known under the pseudonym "Cyber Partisan" or closely associated with their collective leadership, have also been active. They hacked Grodno Azot, Belarus's largest state-run fertiliser manufacturer, disrupting its energy generation facility.
The Cyber Partisans' mission is clear: to topple the autocratic regime in Belarus. Their actions have not gone unnoticed by the country's dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, who has admitted his deepening fears of cyberattacks.
The IT Army of Ukraine, on the other hand, wants to document and systematise everything they've learned, creating a playbook for cyber guerilla operations. They operate a dynamic online DDoS leaderboard, where top contributors run infrastructures of nearly 350 hosts.
The groups' sophistication and well-thought-out organizational structure have not gone unrecognised by cybersecurity experts. The Ukrainian IT Army, in particular, has been praised for its strategic approach and impact.
In a bold move, the IT Army of Ukraine has called on NATO and allied governments to learn from their experience and be ready to launch IT Army-style cyber resistance if needed. As the digital battlefield continues to evolve, these two groups serve as a powerful reminder of the potential for cyber power to shape geopolitical dynamics.
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