Ukrainian and Russian hackers have agreed to de-escalate their cyber attacks and comply with a new set of regulations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a list of rules this week for civilian hackers – the first of its kind.
It was nicknamed the “Geneva Code of cyber-war” which includes eight rules banning, among others, attacks on hospitals and the spread of threats aimed at sparking terror among civilians.
This bid to regulate the activity of thousands of people part of patriotic cyber-groups was initially deemed impossible to enforce by critics, particularly after a number of hacktivists insisted they would not abide by the rules.
But two of the largest groups of hackers involved in the war in Ukraine have agreed to comply with the rules.
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Most notably, by complying with the ICRC’s code, these groups will avoid carrying out cyber-attacks affecting civilians.
Speaking to the BBC, the leader of pro-Russian hacking group Killnet, known on the internet as Killmilk, said he “agrees to the terms and rules of the Red Cross, let this be the first step from Killnet to peace”.
Killmilk, whose hacking group on Telegram has gathered some 90,000 followers since Moscow’s troops invaded Ukraine, has carried out a number of disruptive attacks on Ukrainian targets over the months and has caught the attention of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre.
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In April, the centre warned groups like Killnet are a threat not just to Kyiv but also to its allies, adding attacks on British business were on the rise.
Killnet, which has denied allegations of being closely linked to the Kremlin, claimed on the weekend to have carried out a cyber attack against royal.uk – the Royal Family’s official website.
Similarly to Killmilk, the IT Army of Ukraine also vowed to abide by the ICRC’s rules.
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The spokesman of the group, which counts approximately 160,000 members on its Telegram channel, said it will “make best efforts to follow the rules” despite this may put them at a disadvantage to their enemies.
He added attacks on healthcare targets were already against the rule of the hacktivist group.
While these groups have pledged to restrict their activities to official and military targets, others siding with either Moscow or Kyiv may carry on with more widespread attacks.
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