The Security Service of Ukraine neutralized 103 cyber attacks on websites of public authorities during the first quarter of 2020. Since March, the engaged in countering the COVID-19 institutions have been being attacked more intensively, therefore they are paid more attention.

Since the beginning of the quarantine, hacker groups have massively sent e-mails on COVID-19 topic on the mailboxes of the state agencies. In fact, the e-mails contain harmful code which is activated when the letter is opened.

Most of the attacks are directed by Russian special services, which are trying to gain remote access to the computers of the state bodies. Then they are going to distort or destroy data, spread fakes allegedly on behalf of the Ukrainian state bodies, discrediting them by this way.

Overall, during January-March, SBU blocked almost 2,000 websites which were used for cyber attacks.

The collected data helped to initiate 117 criminal proceedings, including 42 under the Article 361 and Article 362 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The Security Service of Ukraine also sent methodological recommendations to public authorities: how to comply with cyber and information security.

The SBU urges users not to open emails with attachments from unknown recipients, check them with anti-virus programs and follow the rules of cyber hygiene.

As of May 4, during the quarantine period, SBU cyber specialists blocked more than 2,100 Internet communities with a total audience of more than 900,000 users, exposed 301 Internet agitators who spread various fakes about the COVID-19 epidemic.

Earlier, the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov submitted proposals to the National Security Defense Council of Ukraine to continue sanctions against Russian social networks Odnoklassniki, VKontakte and other Russian websites.