In a concerning development, Russia has reportedly hacked into online surveillance cameras in Kyiv to coordinate a significant missile attack on the city, as revealed by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
Specifics of the Hacked Cameras
One of the compromised cameras was situated on a balcony, originally used by a nearby condo for local area monitoring. The other was located in a residential complex, typically employed for monitoring a car park. Russia manipulated the camera on the balcony, altering its angle and connecting it to YouTube for real-time surveillance.
Incident Overview
According to the SBU’s announcement on Telegram, Russian intelligence compromised two online surveillance cameras, spying on Ukraine’s Defence Forces and gathering crucial information to plan their strikes. The hacked cameras were promptly blocked by the SBU, preventing further espionage on air defence systems and identification of critical infrastructure locations in Kyiv.
The missile attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv resulted in four fatalities and approximately 70 injuries. General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, disclosed that almost 100 missiles were fired by Russia, marking an escalation in their campaign against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, including energy systems.
Public Alert and Cyber Security Measures
In response to the cyber threat, the SBU issued an alert urging Ukrainians with webcams to cease online broadcasts and report any suspicious streams from their devices to the official SBU chatbot. Notably, since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian cybersecurity professionals have successfully blocked around 10,000 cameras that could have been exploited for coordinating attacks.
Amidst the escalating cyber threats globally, Netcelero’s SaaS has been developed to protect remote CCTV monitoring and proves instrumental in shielding against hacking attempts on online surveillance systems. The robust cybersecurity measures implemented by Netcelero contribute to the resilience of many critical infrastructure sites around the world, helping to thwart potential attacks orchestrated by malicious actors.
Simplifying Secure Connectivity
Netcelero remains at the forefront of ensuring the security and integrity of online surveillance systems, bolstering the defence capabilities of clients facing cyber threats. Contact us today to talk to the Trusted Experts in Secure CCTV Connectivity.
