Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Siberian Here. Technology and cybersecurity are made simple
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we dive into the latest topics from Technocratico dot it
and break them down so you can stay informed and protected.
(00:23):
This is a Siberian Media Miami production. Let's get into it.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
The scaber Gulsius flame, make us a.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Blood peg fame to love it to fuckings honss see usselves.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And remember this.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Siberia. Today we analyze another topic proposed
by Rafael DiMarzio in his ex profile Technocratico seventy two.
Rafaela is a cybersecurity expert and the founder of Technocratico
dot it. He works as a consultant and frequently speaks
at various conferences focusing on information and communication technology as
(01:11):
well as European regulations and standards in the field. His
experience today guides us in exploring cyber attack disrupts Russian
state media on Putin's birthday, offering a unique perspective. Let's
begin this stimulating discussion such a.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Well, it seems a cybersphere just can't help but serve
up some pretty wild headlines lately. This time it involves
a certain birthday boy, a group of hackers, and a
whole lot of digital mayhem.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Sounds intriguing. What's the story this time?
Speaker 4 (01:42):
So we're talking about a group of pro Ukrainian hackers
who call themselves Pseudo warm dh RF catchy.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Right, definitely a name that makes you do a double take.
And what exactly did they get up to?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Just a little birthday surprise for Vladimir Putin? It seems
they targeted Russian state media on his birthday. And let's
just say it wasn't a friendly card and a bouquet
of flowers.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Now, that's what I call making a statement. The targeting
state media on Putin's birthday.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
That's bold even for the cyber world. What do we
know about the attack itself?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
It goes way beyond just defacing a website or two.
We're talking full on digital disruption. Sources describe servers wiped,
clean backups, gone, internet and telephone lines down. Even some
broadcasts were pushed back to airing old content because they
couldn't access current material. Wow, that level of disruption takes
some serious planning and know how this wasn't just some
(02:35):
random kids in a basement, was it.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
It certainly doesn't sound like it. The pseudo arm dsh
RF group. They seem to know their way around a server, that's.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
For sure, So we're not talking about your average script kitties.
Then wiping servers and backups, that's a whole other level
of expertise. What would it even take to pull something
like that off?
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Right? Like I can barely reset my Wi Fi router
without calling tech support.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well, imagine breaking into Fort Knox not to steal the gold,
but to replace it with let's say, pictures of kittens
and then welding the door shut on your way out.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Okay, now that's an image. So you're saying, recovering from
this kind of attack is no easy feed.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Recovering from that kind of data loss is a monumental task,
assuming it's even possible. This is about disruption, setting a
message and potentially causing long term damage.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
And just how widespread was the impact? Who exactly felt
the digital sting of this attack?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
The main target was VGTRK.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
VGTR Remind me again who they are.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
They're essentially the Russian government's media arm. They control a
vast network of television, radio, and online platforms. Think BBC,
but with a distinctly Kremlin approved message.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Ah okay, so a pretty big deal then, And just
how much of their operation was affected?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
One article indicated something like twenty stations were impacted. Now,
while access to alternative information exists in Russia, it's often
heavily censored or blocked.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Right, So even a temporary disruption could have.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
A big impact exactly. This attack, however, temporary, created a
window where millions of Russians might have been exposed to
different narratives. And that, right there is significant.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Right, So we're talking about a sophisticated attack on a
huge platform with a potentially massive audience impact. But let's
talk about the timing here. This all happened on Putin's birthday.
Coincidence or is there something more strategic at play here?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
In the world of cyber warfare, especially against a nation
state actor like Russia, sometimes the message is the weapon.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
It's a bit of a digital slab in the face,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You can say that attacking on Putin's birthday it's a
direct challenge, a way to demonstrate capability and so uncertainty.
It's psychological warfare, plain and simple.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
And speaking of uncertainty, how confident can we be that
pseudo MRF is actually behind this? Isn't it notoriously difficult
to pinpoint these things in the cyber world?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
You're absolutely right. Attributing cyber attacks is like trying to
finger prit a ghost. Hackers can route their activities through
countless servers around the world, masking their true location and identity.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
So it's basically digital smoke and mirrors pretty much.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And that ambiguity itself is a strategy keeps everyone guessing
and makes direct retaliation from governments tricky to say the least.
You don't want to risk escalation based on a hunch.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
So the who is still a bit of a mystery,
But we do have some clues about this pseudo armdash
RF group. Right. They've made a name for themselves.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Before, that's the interesting part. This isn't their first time
on the digital battlefield. They were linked to a major
hack on RuTube back in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
RuTube. That's ringing a bell. But help me out here.
What exactly is RuTube again?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Imagine YouTube but with a Russian accent.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Okay, so basically Russia's version of the internet's favorite cat
video repository.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Exactly. It's a huge and popular video sharing platform in Russia,
a real cornerstone of their internet landscape.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
So not just some random server farm they targeted. Taking
down routtube, even temporarily, that's a pretty big deal, right,
sends a message.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Oh absolutely, it's a high profile target with a lot
of symbolic value, not just technological. And it doesn't stop there.
Remember that incident with the Moscow Property Bureau earlier this year.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Yeah, that's right, something about leaked data potential corruption the
whole nine yards.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
That's the one sensitive data potential for exposing corruption. You
name it, and guess who is linked to that little escapade?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Let me guess. Are digitally savvy friends pseudo arm dash
and RF starting to see a pattern here?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
You got it? And with each attack they seem to
be getting bolder, targeting bigger players, causing.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
More disruption, which begs the question, how are folks reacting
to these cyber shenanigans? Did the Kremlin just hit the
ignore button on this latest attack?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Publicly they downplayed the whole thing, acted like it was
nothing more than a spilled cup of coffee on the keyboard.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
But our sources hinted that the damage might be more
than they're letting on. What's the strategy there? Why downplay
a potentially serious attack.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's a classic case of act casual nobody panic, projecting strength,
deterring future attacks. It's all part of the.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Game, even if it means sweeping some digital dust bunnies
under the rug.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Exactly. But that discrepancy, the downplaying versus the potential for
real damage that speaks volumes about vulnerability. If these attacks continue,
become more frequent, more disruptive, it could chip away at
the Kremlin's control over information.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
And in a system that thrives on controlling the narrative,
that's a pretty big deal.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Huge. It's like trying to hold back the tide with
the sieve. And keep in mind, this wasn't just some
random act of digital vandalism. The articles kept mentioning hybrid warfare, which,
to be honest, it sounds a bit dramatic.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah, like something out of a spy thriller. Does anyone
actually use that term seriously?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
It might sound like something out of a Tom Clancy novel,
but hybrid.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Warfare is very real, all right, So what exactly are
we talking about here.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It's essentially a blend of traditional military tactics with things
like cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, and economic.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Pressure, so a bit of everything, all geared towards keeping
your opponent off balance.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Exactly. It's about using every tool in the toolbox to
destabilize an opponent. And guess who's been accused of using
this tactic for years.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I'm going to go out on a limb here and
say Russia, big Goo and this cyber attack just one
piece of a much larger, more complex puzzle. So how
does this attack on VGTTRK fit into that bigger picture,
that whole hybrid warfare thing.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Think of it as a chess match. Every move is calculated,
and in this case, disrupting Russia's ability to control the narrative,
especially through state controlled media, that's a pretty significant move.
Undermines their credibility, exposes their vulnerability, and potentially opens a
crack and their information armor.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So it's not just about controlling the narrative within Russia.
Is that there's an international aspect to this as well.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
You hit the nail on the head. This isn't just
an internal Russian affair. One of the articles mentioned that
Russia plans to bring this cyber attack up at forums
like UNESCO. UNESCO really, I mean they deal with education, science, culture,
not exactly known for their cybersecurity swat teams. What are
they hoping to achieve there? Yeah, it does seem like
a bit of an odd choice. UNESCO isn't exactly known
(09:16):
for being a digital battleground. So what's the strategy here?
What's Russia hoping to gain by bringing this to UNESCO. Well,
it's all about optics, isn't it. By bringing it to UNESCO,
Russia is trying to reframe the narrative. They're shifting from
being the victim of a cyber attack to portraying themselves
as a defender of freedom of the press, freedom of expression.
(09:36):
A bold move, you could say.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
So it's less about actual recourse and more about controlling
how this whole thing is perceived on the world stage,
trying to score some pr points exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It's a way to garner sympathy, potentially even paint Ukraine
and their allies as the aggressors in the digital domain.
It's a classic case of the best defense is a
good offense, even if the offense is well claiming to
be on defense.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
It's just while to think about how a group of hackers,
maybe just working from their bedrooms, can have such a
huge impact on international relations. It really highlights how much
the rule of the game have changed.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Absolutely. This whole situation really underscores how vulnerable even the
most powerful nations are in this digital age. It raises
serious questions about the future of information warfare and how
we even begin to define victory or defeat in this
constantly evolving landscape.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
It's definitely a lot to unpack, and it makes you
wonder what does all this mean for the average person.
We're just trying to read the news, catch up on
social media, and make sense of it all. What does
this cyber showdown mean for us?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
That's the million dollar question, isn't it. As these types
of attacks become more and more common, it forces us
all to think critically about the information we're consuming, Who
do we trust, how do we separate fact from fiction,
especially when governments themselves can fall victim to these kinds
of digital shenanigans.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
It's a bit unsettling when you put it like that.
And it's not just about websites and news feeds, is
it Our financial institutions power grids. Even our elections could
be vulnerable to these kinds of attacks.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
It's definitely a wake up call. We can't just bury
our heads in the sand and hope for the best.
Understanding the potential consequences of these attacks that's crucial for
navigating this increasingly complex digital world.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Couldn't agree more well said. So, as we wrap up
our deep dive into this cyber showdown, we're left with
a lot of unanswered questions. But here's one final thought
for you to ponder. If something as simple as a
birthday can be the catalyst for an international cyber conflict,
what does that say about the state of global affairs
in the twenty first century?
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Pre thought provokingly lots to consider.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
As always, thanks for joining us for the deep dive.
We'll catch you next time as we well dive into
another corner of this wild and ever changing world we
call home.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Sounds, Love, foslves you go it.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
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