Cyber ​​specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine eliminated another bot farm in Kyiv. Criminals created 3,000 fake accounts to spread destructive content on social media.
They used their information attacks to discredit ministries and agencies, law enforcement structures, military commissions, and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, two residents of the capital, former employees of the IT industry, were involved in the creation of the bot farm. The "businessmen" organized the process of mass registration and administration of fake accounts on social networks Instagram and Facebook in their own residences.
In order to anonymize the "accounts" of bots and avoid their blocking, criminals have developed a specialized software and hardware complex.
The equipment made it possible to change the IP address when creating each subsequent account, imitating the registration in the social network each time of a different real subscriber of Ukrainian mobile operators.
Accounts created in this way were "rented". Among the clients of the bot farm were the Russian Federation PR companies, which were engaged in the distribution of anti-Ukrainian content.
In particular, these bots "dispersed" custom-edited video and photo materials that discredited Ukrainian politicians and ridiculed legislative initiatives.
According to the results of the search conducted at the address of the "business", the following items were found and seized:
- computer equipment with evidence of illegal activity;
- special software;
- server equipment;
- 35 modems;
- almost 500 SIM cards of Ukrainian mobile operators.
At the initiative of the Security Service of Ukraine, after conducting examinations, the confiscated property is planned to be handed over to the National Agency of Ukraine for Identification, Search and Asset Management (ARMA) for implementation and replenishment of the state budget.
An investigation is ongoing to identify and prosecute all those involved.
The perpetrators were exposed by employees of the Main Department of the SBU in Kyiv and the Kyiv region under the procedural guidance of the Svyatoshyn district prosecutor's office.
