The leaked “Vulkan files” are the first insight into Putin’s cyberwarfare. They link the Kremlin to hacks around the world and could help experts prepare for coming attacks. Here’s what’s in them.

Moscow

The Russian economy has been impacted by a raft of global sanctions as world leaders try to pressure Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Russian Sanctions

How Russia is waging a global cyberwar

On February 24, 2022, Russian hackers allegedly attacked the satellite company Viasat. Customers all over Europe were hit with an immediate loss of communication, among them the Ukrainian military. An hour later, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. This was one of the first examples of how cyberattacks can aid military forces on the ground. The Kremlin has always denied being responsible for cyberattacks like these. But leaked files give a never-before-seen insight into Russia's cyberwarfare tactics. A team of more than 50 journalists analyzed, translated and verified the files for months. 11 news organizations were involved. Among them, German media outlets Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung, the French newspaper Le Monde, the British Guardian and the Washington Post in the United States. The so-called Valken files contain thousands of pages of emails, internal documents, projects and contracts from the private Russian IT firm NTC Valken. It may look like a normal cybersecurity company. However, the files show a close connection of NTC Valken to the Russian military and intelligence agencies. Since 2011, Valken has received special government licenses to work on classified military projects. Tools developed by the company for the Russian military can be used to support hacking operations, spread disinformation and even control sections of the Internet. Let's look at two examples. Scan-V, a tool for digital reconnaissance. Hackers look for weak spots, aiming for potentially vulnerable servers or network devices so that they can penetrate computer systems successfully. Scan-V makes this happen. The system scans the Internet for vulnerabilities, which are then stored for use in future cyber attacks. The leaked documents link this tool to the infamous team Sandworm. Also known as Unit 74455, Sandworm is a hacker group working for Russia's military intelligence agency GRU. Experts say it is highly likely that Sandworm is using tools like Scan-V to identify potential targets. Emazit. Emazit is a blueprint for controlling the Internet in regions under Russia's command. It enables the military to take control of the Internet and thereby remove any traffic that they could deem as politically harmful and obstructive. Emazit can manage, collect and modify information in a specific geographical area. To achieve this, they need physical access to hardware, for example, mobile phone towers. Once a network is infiltrated, traffic can be intercepted. Why are the Vulcan files so important? The military complex of Russia is as big as it is obscure. Internal details very rarely reach the outside world. The Vulcan files have changed that. They are the first massive leak from this well-kept secret. Usually, cyber security experts only find traces of cyber attacks. Through the traces, the attack can be reconstructed. But now, there is a rare insight into the planning and organization of hacks like these. It cannot be confirmed that tools developed by NTC Vulcan have been used in Russian cyber attacks. But the leaks do show the massive architecture and effort behind Russian cyber warfare machinery. We can assume that other countries are investing in cyber warfare as well. Leaks like the Vulcan files can help understand the tactics behind such debilitating attacks. This makes it easier to take protective measures against them. That's it for today. Bye and see you next time.

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