Ukraine's security level on critical infrastructure - Does it even matter?

Two years ago, there was a second attack on Ukraine's power supply which no one really took record of.

Lazarenko/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

Now, in the fallout of the latest events, Ukraine's President Poroshenko is taking precautions and enhanced the security at Ukraine's harbours and power plants.

BUT: Russia has not only overwhelming firepower compared to the Ukraine. It is also able to cripple their infrastructure by using less obvious and trackable ways than rockets and bullets.

Russia's IT power has more than once been accused in spreading false information by bot networks and hacker cells. Not only in the Ukraine, but also in the U.S. and in Germany.

As mentioned above Russia has already proven its capacity in December 2016. But since IT security can not be boosted with sheer military presence, we will see how effective the steps taken by Petro Poroshenko really are, if Russia tries to turn the light switch off again.

Petro Poroshenko himself accused Russia being on a cyberwar against his country in 2016, also suffering attacks against the finance and defence ministries:

“the investigation of a number of incidents indicated the complicity directly or indirectly of Russian security services waging a cyberwar against our country”

Hopefully Mr Poroshenko has learned something from that incident. Today's wars are surely not fought only by military strength - although deterrence is still a thing nowadays.

I see a future with decentralised hacker organizations around the world, paid by the political influencer of your choice. If you don't want the whole world to know that the attacks are being carried out by you - why would you let them operate in your own country? Of course the hackers might be better controlled, but is that really necessary? There are good hackers who fight for the right thing, why shouldn't there be hackers who do what ever they are asked for if the price is right?