Russian Origin Internet Blocking Malware Detected in Ukraine: Cisco

A malware called VPNFilter targeted at routers in Ukraine has infiltrated devices in some 54 nations, warns Talos, the cybersecurity division of computer systems company Cisco.

"While this isn't definitive by any means, we have also observed VPNFilter, a potentially destructive malware, actively infecting Ukrainian hosts at an alarming rate, utilizing a command and control infrastructure dedicated to that country," Anadolu Agency reports quoting an announcement made by Talos.

The malware apparently targets routers and other systems that often do not have cybersecurity protections.

“The types of devices targeted by this actor are difficult to defend,” Talos said.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) warned Wednesday that it expected a large-scale hacking to occur related to VPNFilter ahead of the match.

“VPNFilter has a destructive capability that can make the affected device unusable,” the DHS said in an alert Wednesday. “Because the malware can be triggered to affect devices individually or multiple devices at once, VPNFilter has the potential to cut off internet access for hundreds of thousands of users”.