IT Army hacking group claims the cyberattack on Lovit

The IT Army, a Ukrainian volunteer hacking organisation, has claimed credit for the three-day cyberattack on Russian internet provider Lovit that affected Moscow and St. Petersburg services.

The hack that allegedly occurred last week also prevented tenants of Lovit-serviced apartment buildings from reaching their homes by disabling intercom systems.

Local media reports that businesses in the impacted buildings experienced difficulties with payment terminals and loyalty programs.

 

IT Army has crippled Lovit.

 

The IT Army allegedly targeted the company’s vital infrastructure and internet services, compromising Lovit’s mobile app, website, and user accounts. Russia’s internet regulator also claimed Lovit was unprepared for such a large-scale catastrophe.

In addition, the Russian entity reported that the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack came from servers and botnets in various countries, including the United States, Germany, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, France, Croatia, the United Kingdom, and Russia.

The attack was ongoing on Monday, and concerns with the company’s services had yet to be remedied. Lovit is the sole internet service provider for residential complexes created by Russia’s largest real estate company, PIK.

According to Russian media, residents affected by the cyberattack intend to file a collective complaint with Russia’s antimonopoly service, arguing that Lovit raises prices above market rates and prevents access to other suppliers.

One affected Lovit user explained the consequences of the hack to local media. The user stated that it has been three days, and nothing is working. There are no internet, intercoms, or cash registers at stores.

This choice of targeting Lovit allowed experts to suspect it was a targeted and intentional operation.

Furthermore, the business informed local media that it is the sole provider of most of PIK’s recently built residential complexes, allowing it to cause the most harm. It added that other facilities using Lovit’s network, such as hospitals, schools, and kindergartens, may have also been affected.

Pro-Ukrainian hackers, including the IT Army, increasingly attack Russian internet service providers. The number of attacks undertaken by the IT Army against Russia has increased dramatically over the last year, with a greater emphasis on regional telecom carriers.

Researchers expect that these attacks will continue to grow as long as the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues.