Defence Intelligence: 76 enemy bot farms with three million fake accounts have been blocked

In 2022-2023, the Security Service of Ukraine has blocked the activity of 76 bot farms operating on the territory of our state, disseminating pro-Russian narratives.

Ilya Vityuk, the Head of the Cybersecurity Department of the SSU, revealed this information in a comment for the United24 platform.

"The enemy regularly attempts to destabilize the situation in Ukraine's information space. One of the tools for such influence is through bot farms that propagate pro-Russian narratives on the internet. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the SBU has blocked 76 such bot farms with a total capacity of over 3 million accounts," Ilya Vityuk stated.

According to him, the SSU successfully counters the enemy in the cyberspace, regularly repelling mass attacks on state resources, critical infrastructure objects, telecommunication companies, and more.

In particular, in the first 10 months of 2023, the SSU neutralized nearly 4,000 cyberattacks.

At the same time, the Department of Cybersecurity of the SBU has information that Russia is creating a national system of cyberattacks, introducing relevant subjects into the educational programs of educational institutions to involve even students in hacking activities. All of this, of course, is under the control of special services.

"It is no longer just about professional intelligence officers. We have information that in a number of educational institutions, subjects like 'cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure' are already being taught. They want to increase the scale of attacks and the number of people who can do this professionally. By the way, they are teaching how to attack not only Ukrainian systems but also those of partner countries," said Ilya Vityuk.

This is happening despite the fact that thousands of Russian hackers, including cybercriminals hired by Russia, are already working against Ukraine. They are funded by special services, whose research laboratories and institutes help develop means of cyber influence.

"Their motivation is not hacking for money but the destruction of our state. With such an approach, other countries will also suffer significantly from Russian cyber aggression," added Ilya Vityuk.

Despite Russia testing its cyber weapons in Ukraine, the Security Service comprehensively counters Russia's influence. Ukraine has become a kind of shield against cyberattacks for the entire Western world."

You can watch the full interview with the Chief of the Cybersecurity Department of the SSU, Ilya Vityuk, at this link: YouTube Interview