A Ukrainian national flag flies in front of a government building in central Kiev, Ukraine, March 3, 2016 REUTERS Valentyn Ogirenko File Photo
WASHINGTON, Jan 14, Reuters - The United States and its allies have offered Ukraine their support as the investigation into the nature and impact of a cyberattack targeted the country continues, a White House National Security Council NSC spokesman said.
A senior administration official said later that they don't have an attribution at this time, asked by reporters if the cyberattack was conducted by Russian intelligence services. The attack, which defaced a series of Ukrainian government websites, appeared to be limited, with multiple websites back online, according to a senior administration official.
The incident occurred amid increased tension between Russia and the U.S. over Ukraine after a week of diplomacy by Biden's administration didn't cajole Moscow into drawing down its military buildup on Russia's border with Ukraine.
The NSC spokesperson said that they will provide Ukraine with whatever support it needs to recover.
The cyberattack against Ukraine disrupted access to a series of government websites and left a message: All your personal data has been uploaded, and data on this computer has been irrecoverably destroyed. The message said all of your information is now public. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the incident, saying that allied cyber experts would provide Ukraine with a cyber defense information sharing platform.