Western intelligence agencies have been investigating the incident and while they have not yet made a public accusation, they believe Russia was behind it.

It appears to be the most significant cyber-attack linked to the conflict so far, affecting military, as well as government, communications.

Overall though, Western officials say Ukraine has proved more resilient to cyber-attacks than many had expected.

Western intelligence agencies are investigating the hacking of Viasat, which provides communications through a network of satellites.

It appears to have been hit by a sophisticated cyber-attack that wiped devices on the day the invasion began.

It also affected other countries in Europe, although not the UK.

Viasat told the BBC that it was replacing some customers’ modems but its core network infrastructure and the satellite itself were not damaged.

“Viasat is actively working with distributors to restore service for those fixed broadband users in Europe impacted by this event,” it said in a statement.

The company did not say who it thought was behind the cyber-attack and said the US government would provide attribution in due course.

Military doctrine
“It looks like the clearest example of spill-over,” said one official.

Western officials believe this was almost certainly the work of Russia but have not yet assembled the evidence to make a public accusation.

“Were it to be ultimately attributed to Russia, it would very much fit with what we expect them to do, which is use their cyber-capability to support their military campaign,” said one Western official.

They believe it fits closely into Russian military doctrine, in which cyber-attacks are used to support specific military objectives – in this case trying to sow confusion by disrupting Ukrainian command and control.

In recent days, US cyber-authorities have warned that they are “aware of possible threats to US and international satellite communication networks”, and America’s FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa) have urged providers to improve their security because of the continuing potential risks.

Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, is thought to have been behind the Viasat hack, according to a report in the Washington Post.

Other officials also say that the GRU has led in operations against Ukraine.

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TECH DIGEST – In a bid to bring high-quality satellite internet connectivity to Nigerian communities where limited or no internet service is currently available, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has decided to grant Viasat Incorporated full operating licenses.

The license, which is a full suite of operating licenses such as Internet Service Provider (ISP) license, VSAT license and three Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM) licenses will allow Viasat to operate within the 28GHz Ka-band satellite frequency band.

Speaking on the license granted to the company, Rick Baldridge, President and CEO of Viasat, said the company is proud to be working with the NCC and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to help the Nigerian government achieve their broadband goals, which will ultimately, improve the quality of life of its citizens.

“We believe our proven satellite internet solution, will bring cost-effective internet services to Nigerian towns where large gaps exist between demand and the affordability and availability of internet services,” he said.

Baldridge also thank NCC for granting the license and for preserving the 28GHz Ka-band spectrum for satellite-based services that will greatly contribute to breaking down Internet barriers, which were hitherto not available to achieve digital and social inclusion for all Nigerians.

Already, Viasat has begun a trial program to connect five unserved Nigerian communities covering approximately 15,000 people. Viasat plans to provide details on the trials later this year.

The 28GHz Ka-band spectrum has enabled satellite broadband to be the fastest-growing segment of satellite communications, and the leading global broadband solution to connect the estimated 3.6 billion people in the world left behind by terrestrial infrastructure.

With access to the 28GHz Ka-band spectrum, Viasat will be positioned to expand its satellite-based internet connectivity service to more regions and citizens across Africa—ahead of the launch of ViaSat-3, its ultra-high-capacity global satellite constellation comprised of three communications satellites.

A ViaSat-3 satellite, aimed to serve Africa, as well as Europe and the Middle East, is planned for launch in 2022.

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