Attribution to Russia of malicious cyber activity against Ukraine

[Ghost Dog]

Source: Australian Foreign Ministry

... In consultation with our partners, the Australian Government assesses that the GRU was responsible for these distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks...

... The global community must be prepared to shine a light on malicious cyber activity and hold the actors responsible to account..

Read more: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/attribution-russia-malicious-cyber-activity-against-ukraine

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Would it be too much to ask to see the evidence (indeed, shine a light) on which this assessment is based? These were not sensitive secure systems, these were website servers that suffered the type of DDoS attack just about any competent hacker could pull off, without leaving a trace, as far as I understand these things... So these purported GRU guys must be rather incompetent, as well as limited in maliciousness and scope.

[FreepFryer]

1. I'm unclear, are you suggesting it didn't happen?

“ Would it be too much to ask to see the evidence (indeed, shine a light) on which this assessment is based”

I don’t understand why incredulity is your takeaway of this assessment.

[hlthe2b]

9. Ditto from this poster. Why are we jumping to suggest our allies are lying, rather than Putin?

Some are suggesting the same re: Biden and his administration with no evidence. On DU...

I'm not saying we should not have some healthy skepticism, but why all of a sudden are we trusting Putin and the GRU over our own allies and the Biden administration?

[Aussie105]

2. Unfortunately Australia is currently in the grip of anti-Russia and anti-China sentiment -

and has been for years.

Both the media and politicians play the same game, throwing shade at anything Russian or Chinese.

Often without proof, often with vague generalizations. But with well defined conclusions.

I've seen enough general populus manipulation propaganda in this, and other countries, to recognize it for what it is.

Often, it's a story with little detail, but an assurance the teller 'knows' who is behind it.

Our foreign minister, M. Payne, is an expert at this. But most politicians are - don't listen to the story itself, but the intent behind it.

No one really knows what mind games are being played in the Russia-Ukraine situation at the moment, please don't believe anyone who says they do.
Even Joe Biden is doing a 'best guess' thing at the moment.

But really, the suspicion and accusation that Russian hackers are trying to destabilize the security of different countries by conducting cyber warfare isn't new news.

[Ghost Dog]

3. It is recognisable, isn't it.

It particularly affects the entire anglosphere. A media-fed fog of propaganda.

[FreepFryer]

5. Denialist propaganda. (Nt)

[hlthe2b]

10. Because of course we should defend Putin and assume our allies are lying instead. That's what FOX

and ther Trumpist media tell us. So, by all means, give our decades-long adversaries all benefit-of-the doubt at all costs as our knee-jerk MO.


That goes wayyyyy beyond healthy skepticism, IMO. It is allowing propaganda to be used against us and doing Putin's work for him. Is this still DU?

[hlthe2b]

13. Maybe because Russia & China have been our adversaries (for US, Australia and other western Allies)

for more than 7 decades?

[Tetrachloride]

4. I resent the both sider ism of this.

Moreover, I resent that ddos could be anybody and the intelligence services are unaware.

Every decent website has security protections. Sadly not always sufficient.

Various analytical techniques are used. I myself documented a national security issue this past several months. Likely, the intelligence services are aware of that one.

A competent intelligence service doesn’t spill the beans. Period.

Asking the intelligence services to spill the beans to the general public is unpatriotic.

[Ghost Dog]

6. Did you know there were approximately 5.4 million DDoS attacks in 1H 2021

in the USA alone?

https://www.netscout.com/threatreport/namer/united-states/

[hlthe2b]

11. Why are you here?

What is your motivation with this constant defense of our adversaries as your kneejerk response?

I get healthy skepticism post-Iraq, but this kneejerk need to defend Putin?

[Ghost Dog]

16. Some of us, pre-Iraq, could see through the propaganda

psyops that supported that illegal invasion.

[hlthe2b]

17. This isn't Iraq. Biden isn't Bush. Biden isn't Trump. And this is Putin threatening war, not the US.

Not NATO.

What the hell? Those memes you seemingly wish to propagate are from RW media Why are you here?. Why do you defend Putin and his murderous ambitions--giving him all benefit-of-the-doubt that you refuse to give Biden, the US, NATO, western democracies?

[Ghost Dog]

21. Could you provide a link to where

Putin has threatened war, please?

[hlthe2b]

23. Of for god's sakes Even you can't believe what you are saying. Despicable propaganda

direct from the mouth of Tucker Carlson and other Trumpist news. WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Hundreds of thousands of troops surrounding Ukraine after violently taking Georgia and Crimea prio? No, THAT's not threatening war. Again, shame on you.

[Ghost Dog]

28. Most American RW media is painful to read,

so I mostly avoid it.

[hlthe2b]

18. Accusing BIden, his administration, NATO of psyops is straight from RW media. It has no place here.

[Ghost Dog]

24. It's standard operating procedure...

Yes, on all sides. Here's only one office so engaged in "messaging" designed to fit policy:

The (State Department's) Global Campaigns Strategy Unit (GCS) advances the Administration’s foreign policy agenda by developing long term, strategic messaging campaigns. GCS aligns Department communications activity by convening GPA offices and numerous policy bureaus to drive towards long-term messaging objectives. The strategic communications work of the Global Campaigns Strategy Unit is guided by the Administration’s core policy priorities.

https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-public-diplomacy-and-public-affairs/bureau-of-global-public-affairs/office-of-global-campaigns-strategy/

[hlthe2b]

25. Everyone but Putin. Gotcha. Every NATO nation, Ukrainian President, evey single involved individual

with a role in security/global affairs in the Biden administration, those European nations who face devastating fallout from a war with Russia from loss of gas/oil (Germany) --are supposedly in your mind conspiring against Putin.

I have had enough. You don't belong here with that anti-western anti-democratic propaganda. Take it to RW websites. Someone downstream used the term agent provocateur. I have to wonder.

[Ghost Dog]

26. I said "all sides". Putin's administration is also playing the game.

But he has, since these many years passed, I think, expressed genuine Russian feelings of being threatened by NATO expansion, and genuinely wants to achieve, diplomatically, a mutually satisfactory security solution in Europe as proposed in the draft Treaty presented in December.

[hlthe2b]

27. Fail

Take your Putin love, defense, and support elsewhere. DUers see through it. I'm sure you will find rubes on other websites easier to manipulate.

[Ghost Dog]

29. Have you read the draft Treaty?

If not, why not? It is at the heart of this situation.

[Beakybird]

7. Hear hear

The attempted overthrow of a democratic government by a murderous thuggish dictator is going on. No time for both siderism.

[FreepFryer]

8. +1. (Nt)

[hlthe2b]

12. +++

[nvme]

14. agent provocateur?

[Ghost Dog]

15. If you so choose.

I think I am being objectively rational, attempting to observe reality through the psyops fog of phony war.

[hlthe2b]

19. Shame on you. Where is your proof that the Biden administration, NATO or anyone other than Putin

is involved in intentional psyops to provoke a war? SHAME ON YOU.

[Ghost Dog]

20. Oh, I don't think "our" side really wants to provoke a war,

at least not most of us. I think, from "our" side, it's about asserting and defending hegemony, and encouraging increased funding of the MIC.

I'm of the opinion that a peaceful, mutually respectful and cooperating multi-polar world order, as China consistently proposes, would be more sensible.

[hlthe2b]

22. Where is your proof the west, NATO, the US is provoking war, not defending peace? WHERE?

Why are you defending Putin's war-mongering and lust for power and the takeover of Ukraine as with Georgia and Crimea? WHERE?

[Ghost Dog]

30. I am defending war-mongering?

Such projection.

[hlthe2b]

31. You and your Putin-supporting conspiracy theories have wasted far too much of my time as well

as others-- who are apparently now universally ignoring you--as I will now as well. Welcome to ignore. I predict a quiet, if not short (and unsuccessful) time for you here with your Putin devotion.