The year 2022 has been marked by numerous attacks targeting cities, hospitals, and other public services… Faced with these growing threats, we must update our lines of defense. Are we close to a digital blackout caused by determined hackers?
The year 2023 is starting with a bang! I hope you like Punk Rock, because you're going to swing… will you resist the pogo? The Wipers seem to be back… We followed the cybersecurity experts who conducted the investigation.
I) A frightening discovery…
In December 2022, many alerts are attracting particular attention.
Malware such as ransomware, wipers, etc. have been detected in the systems of several organizations in France.
Faced with these growing risks on January 20, 2023, during his New Year's greetings to the armed forces, the President of the Republic defended an ambitious military programming law.
One of the objectives particularly attracts our attention: the investment in French cyber defense capabilities doubled between 2024 and 2030.
Consider, for example, the WhisperGate event of January 2022, before the invasion of Ukraine. A computer attack that "disfigured" around twenty websites of the authorities of this country, by displaying a threatening message. Even if this attack seems harmless, it is not. As proof, a few days after this event, we witnessed the destabilization of this country.
WhisperGate is not just a disguised ransomware, it is a tool that destroys information systems.
> Investigator's diary Clue #1
Cybercrime
• Detection of numerous Wiper-type malware affecting several French organizations
• The capacity of French cyberdefense could double between 2024-2030
• A witness event in Ukraine: WhisperGate
Among cyberattacks, ransomware is often considered to be the deadliest. Think again! Although this type of attack is very impactful, file recovery may be possible following a negotiation with the hackers.
This is quite different for Wiper-type malware. These do not seek to steal money or sell information. Their only objective is the destruction of the information system. In fact, Wiper-type malware can be compared to a hurricane that would wipe out everything in its path without worrying about the damage it could cause.
Moreover, its French translation "wiper" confirms this idea.
This Wiper is dual-purpose: political strike and economic weapon switzerland telegram data which makes it all the more powerful and dangerous. Its preferred targets are governments, large companies and media organizations.
> Investigator's Journal Clue #2:
Wipers: a formidable and large-scale weapon
• Characteristics: Irreparably destroys systems
• Objective: Political strike and economic weapon that can destabilize a country and weaken its economy.
• Targets: Governments, large companies and media organizations
III) History of the use of Wiper-type malware
Wiper is a modern computer virus strain from the 21st century.
The first cases of Wiper appeared in the Middle East in 2012.
Computer virology is constantly reinventing itself, we are far from the time of the creation of the harmless computer virus "Creeper", created in 1971 by Bob Thomas.