{"title":"Russian-Ukraine armed conflict: Lessons learned on the digital ecosystem","authors":"Itzhak Aviv , Uri Ferri","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcip.2023.100637","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Since February 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict significantly impacted the digital landscape. This study examines the conflict's impacts on the local and global digital ecosystem. Using grey literature, we analyzed English-language data sources primarily published between November 2022 and April 2023, which were based on data sources from the commencement of the conflict to the publication date. The investigation reveals insights into four categories: cyber and kinetic warfare, telecommunications, IT and cloud computing, digital geopolitics and resilience. The main insight in cyber warfare is that cyber attacks on Ukraine's digital infrastructure were only partially effective despite the massive involvement of cybercrime groups implementing adaptive wiping and DDoS attacks on behalf of national interests. The cyber defense success resulted from the allies' support for Ukraine and a well-established and implemented national cybersecurity strategy. Kinetic attacks against data centers have accelerated the migration of data and applications to cloud computing. The most incredible legacy of the current conflict is the positive paradigm shift in the cloud's security and privacy capabilities for sensitive systems' continuous operation as an alternative to system disability in locally destroyed data centers. The third insight reveals Telecom's reliance on satellite network suppliers and mobile power equipment, such as High-Capacity batteries, which are in shortage worldwide. Digital geopolitics alters the paradigms of digital resilience. Global tech companies assume the role of digital nations and superpowers while taking sides. During the conflict, we observe for the first time in practice the digital blockade by global techies of one side of the conflict and the digital support of the other, thereby shaping paradigms regarding digital sovereignty as digital resilience.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49057,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100637"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874548223000501","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Since February 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict significantly impacted the digital landscape. This study examines the conflict's impacts on the local and global digital ecosystem. Using grey literature, we analyzed English-language data sources primarily published between November 2022 and April 2023, which were based on data sources from the commencement of the conflict to the publication date. The investigation reveals insights into four categories: cyber and kinetic warfare, telecommunications, IT and cloud computing, digital geopolitics and resilience. The main insight in cyber warfare is that cyber attacks on Ukraine's digital infrastructure were only partially effective despite the massive involvement of cybercrime groups implementing adaptive wiping and DDoS attacks on behalf of national interests. The cyber defense success resulted from the allies' support for Ukraine and a well-established and implemented national cybersecurity strategy. Kinetic attacks against data centers have accelerated the migration of data and applications to cloud computing. The most incredible legacy of the current conflict is the positive paradigm shift in the cloud's security and privacy capabilities for sensitive systems' continuous operation as an alternative to system disability in locally destroyed data centers. The third insight reveals Telecom's reliance on satellite network suppliers and mobile power equipment, such as High-Capacity batteries, which are in shortage worldwide. Digital geopolitics alters the paradigms of digital resilience. Global tech companies assume the role of digital nations and superpowers while taking sides. During the conflict, we observe for the first time in practice the digital blockade by global techies of one side of the conflict and the digital support of the other, thereby shaping paradigms regarding digital sovereignty as digital resilience.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection (IJCIP) was launched in 2008, with the primary aim of publishing scholarly papers of the highest quality in all areas of critical infrastructure protection. Of particular interest are articles that weave science, technology, law and policy to craft sophisticated yet practical solutions for securing assets in the various critical infrastructure sectors. These critical infrastructure sectors include: information technology, telecommunications, energy, banking and finance, transportation systems, chemicals, critical manufacturing, agriculture and food, defense industrial base, public health and health care, national monuments and icons, drinking water and water treatment systems, commercial facilities, dams, emergency services, nuclear reactors, materials and waste, postal and shipping, and government facilities. Protecting and ensuring the continuity of operation of critical infrastructure assets are vital to national security, public health and safety, economic vitality, and societal wellbeing.
The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to:
1. Analysis of security challenges that are unique or common to the various infrastructure sectors.
2. Identification of core security principles and techniques that can be applied to critical infrastructure protection.
3. Elucidation of the dependencies and interdependencies existing between infrastructure sectors and techniques for mitigating the devastating effects of cascading failures.
4. Creation of sophisticated, yet practical, solutions, for critical infrastructure protection that involve mathematical, scientific and engineering techniques, economic and social science methods, and/or legal and public policy constructs.