The Challenge
In 2014, amidst the outbreak of conflict with Russia, the public agency experienced its first significant cyberattack – a major DDoS incident.
What happened during the incident:
- The website (with hundreds of visitors per day) and email service initially slowed down and were inaccessible for around 20 minutes.
- Officers were unable to communicate with each other and the public due to the attack.
- There was a threat to the country’s reputation and public trust.
The major challenge:
The agency didn’t have a cybersecurity department at that time. They urgently required expert intervention to halt the ongoing attack and safeguard their web resources from future threats.
The agency contacted FS Group, as they trusted the extensive expertise of the company and the experience of it with similar incidents.
The Solution
FS Group, renowned for its expertise in defending against cyberattacks in Ukraine, embarked on its first project with such a large and critical public organization. The initial step involved implementing FS Anti DDoS to protect the client’s web resources.
The solution comprises:
- A web application for monitoring website parameters and providing timely alerts and reports.
- A dedicated web security team (In collaboration with the client’s team):
- Watch for anomalies in the FS Anti DDos web app;
- Create custom preventive WAF rulesets for new potential threats;
- Counter new attacks promptly and professionally. If needed, the FSG team reacts during non-work hours;
- Consult a client’s team on any web resources-related questions.
Over time, the FSG team demonstrated their ability to handle high-stakes situations and fulfill a significant responsibility to protect Ukrainian citizens. They also proved to be flexible, highly responsive, and professional.
Result
As a result, FS Group has achieved the following:
- Over 11 years of web resources stable operation. Including no incidents during the intensified attacks on Ukraine’s public sector since 2022.
- 150,000+ web attacks were prevented over 5 years.
- 50% of all data breaches were mitigated due to the timely identification of compromised accounts.
- Hundreds of cyber threats were prevented thanks to immediate alerts from the FS group.
- FS Group promptly provided over 50 incident reports with recommendations for mitigation and prevention.
- Calm and assured public agency personnel, who know they have immediate access to cybersecurity experts for timely assistance in preventing and responding to attacks.
costs data breach for critical infrastructure industries
of the DDoS attacks in the EU targeted public administration, followed by transport for 17%, and banking/finance sectors for 9%.
employee training, proactive threat hunting, and threat intelligence reduce the cost of a data breach.
