Wiper programs are similar to ransomware in that they can access and edit files on a hacked system, but unlike ransomware, which encrypts data on a drive until an attacker is given a release fee, wipers remove disc data permanently and provide no method to retrieve it. This suggests that the malware’s sole purpose is to cause harm to the target, rather than to extract financial gain for the attacker.
While pro-Russian hackers employed malware to damage data on Ukrainian computer systems, other pro-Ukrainian hackers used the opposite strategy, exposing data from Russian businesses and government institutions as an offensive tactic.
While large-scale cyber warfare has thus far been absent from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it is plausible that greater strikes are still in the works. In the United States, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) issued advice to businesses warning that they may be affected by the same type of damaging malware used in Ukraine.
