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A hacker group known as the Cyber Anarchy Squad, supportive of the Ukrainian cause, is believed to have successfully targeted and disrupted Infotel JSC, a critical Russian internet service provider (ISP) that plays a crucial role in facilitating the financial system utilized by Russian banks.
Infotel, based in Moscow, has remained inaccessible since June 8th, and the responsibility for the takedown has been claimed by the hacker collective through their Telegram channel. While writing the report infosecbulletin find infotel jsc website hang a notice writing on
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“Dear partners! We inform you that as a result of a massive hacker attack on the network of Infotel JSC, a part of the network equipment was damaged. Restoration work is currently underway. Additional deadlines for completing the work will be announced.” We hope for your understanding and further cooperation.”
They boasted about the complete destruction of Infotel’s infrastructure, leaving nothing operational. The attackers expressed their confidence in hindering any attempts by Russia to rebuild, comparing their chances to the likelihood of Russia having an easy life.
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Although the takedown of a single ISP may not appear monumental, the consequences of this attack could potentially have severe implications for Russia’s banking system. Infotel operates the Automated System of Electronic Interaction (ASEI) on behalf of the Central Bank of Russia.
ASEI is an essential platform used by commercial banks, credit unions, and other businesses for secure communication between organizations. It facilitates secure document exchange, data transfer, digital signatures, and other critical activities that support the functioning of the banking system.
In theory, the absence of ASEI severely restricts institutions’ ability to exchange financial information concerning loans and transactions. While backup systems might provide assistance during downtime, delays would be inevitable.
Given that banks heavily rely on ASEI for processing transactions, a sudden shutdown would disrupt interbank communications and impede the execution of certain transactions.
The hacktivists claimed to have stolen Infotel’s data prior to incapacitating the ISP. It was revealed that AESI serves 400 customers in Russia, with commercial banks accounting for 25% of the total, while credit institutions, car dealerships, connection providers, and other entities make up the remainder.
