Ukraine's Cyber Conflict: Hacking Groups Pledge to Reduce Tensions

The two largest hacktivist groups involved in the conflict in Ukraine have pledged to reduce cyber-attacks and adhere to new rules of engagement established by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC recently released the first set of guidelines for civilian hackers, which were initially criticized as unfeasible. However, Ukrainian and Russian hackers have agreed to comply with these rules. Cyber-attacks on public services in Ukraine and Russia have been occurring since the invasion of Ukraine, causing varying levels of disruption. Hacktivist groups have primarily used basic forms of cyber-attacks, but have managed to successfully disrupt banks, companies, hospitals, railway networks, and government services for citizens in both countries. Their goal has been to cause friction among ordinary people to further their causes, often collecting angry social media posts from those affected by their attacks. By agreeing to the ICRC rules, hacker groups will refrain from launching cyber-attacks that harm civilians. The leader of the pro-Russian hacking group, Killnet, assured the BBC that he supports the terms and rules set by the Red Cross and views it as a step towards peace. Killnet has been a persistent source of disruptive attacks on Ukrainian targets and has been accused of having ties to the Kremlin, although they deny this. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has flagged groups like Killnet as a new threat to Ukraine's allies and cautioned British companies about their rising attacks. If Killnet follows through with their promise, cyber-attacks on civilian targets, including those of Ukraine's allies, will cease. The IT Army of Ukraine, which has 160,000 members, has also committed to adhering to the ICRC rules. Despite potentially placing them at a disadvantage against their adversaries, the group's spokesperson stated that they will make their best effort to comply. The ICRC introduced these eight rules of engagement to address the escalating cyber-conflict in Ukraine, warning about the increasing numbers of people joining patriotic cyber-gangs. While some hacktivist groups have refused to follow these rules, others have agreed to do so.