Ukrainian hacktivists attack Russian telecoms operator

The Ukrainian hacktivist group, BlackJack, has claimed the cyberattack that hit the Russian network provider M9com, on January 9, 2024, significantly disrupting services. BlackJack, which has the support of Ukrainian intelligence, claims it “destroyed” the company’s servers, erasing 20 TB of data.

The hacktivist also leaked 10 GB of data stolen from M9com’s internal messaging service and customer database. According to BlackJack, the operation is just the first step in a larger, devastating, campaign, “which will seriously avenge Kyivstar.”

In mid-December 2023, a cybercriminal group with ties to Moscow, probably Sandworm, had indeed taken down Ukraine’s main network provider, Kyivstar, disabling telecoms for 24 million Ukrainians. The Russian attack was the most significant cyber strike against the Ukrainian population to date.