Hackers Target Russian Technology Giant

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Russian technology company Yandex’s navigation service was hacked by Anonymous: During a deliberate attack, the anonymous hacker collective shut down this popular Russian navigation service (from Google’s equivalent in Russia) and even blocked access to all devices. The Timeshub.in reports that millions of Russians use the navigation application daily, and that all voice responses have been removed from the system. 

Even though they could have deleted the files, the hackers instead installed their own response module, which includes excerpts from plays by Ukrainian poet and artist Les Podervyansky, whose plays are filled with obscene wording, spoken by the author himself.  

Yandex is active in many different industries in Russia (and even in Israel): its search engine has become the most popular site in Russia, it provides food transportation services, small deliveries, and taxis, and even it uses smart robots and autonomous vehicles, so it is no wonder that it has become a major target for hackers opposing the Russian invasion to Ukraine. 

Following the hacking incident involving Yandex.Navigator, reports surfaced that Yandex accused one of its employees of intentionally hacking and leaking data from Yandex Food, the company’s food delivery service. Among the many data leaked, there was also information about Russian senior security and military officials who used the service to order food for their workplace, revealing their personal information. Leaked data can be tied to personal details and addresses to identify soldiers and spies, and even to provide preliminary information regarding a corruption case, as reported on bellingcat.com. 

It is likely that Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian hacker organizations will continue to launch cyber attacks, aiming to weaken the power of Russia.

During the war in Ukraine, it is likely that Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian hacker groups will continue to launch cyber attacks with the aim of weakening Russia’s power.