back to article Ukraine busts bot farm spreading Russian infowar propaganda and fraud

Ukrainian cops have disrupted a massive bot farm with more than 100 operators allegedly spreading fake news about the Russian invasion, leaking personal information belonging to Ukrainian citizens, and instigating fraud schemes. After conducting 21 searches, the country's cyber and national police seized computer equipment, …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine /s

    Victor Zhora, the deputy chairman of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine

    “The uptick in Kremlin-backed information operations prompted Viktor Zhora, who leads Ukraine's cyber security agency, to call for a coordinated, global approach to counter propaganda and disinformation online”

    “And if all others accepted the lie .. then the lie passed into history and became truth.”

    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      Re: Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine /s

      “The uptick in Kremlin-backed information operations prompted Viktor Zhora, who leads Ukraine's cyber security agency, to call for a coordinated, global approach to counter propaganda and disinformation online”

      Translation: We must block the other side's propaganda and allow our own-

      This really is a Khinzhal shot down by a Patriot-

      https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/07/01/ukrainian-fighters-down-russian-hypersonic-missile-ebof-vpx.cnn

      This really is a German soldier helping Ukraine's recruitment drive-

      https://twitter.com/benoitm_mtl/status/1673038553092063232

      This really is a new definition of "soar"-

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66253143

      Wheat prices on the European stock exchange soared by 8.2% on Wednesday from the previous day, to €253.75 (£220; $284) per tonne, while corn prices were up 5.4%.

      Shouldn't the co-ordinated, global approach be to identify and lable all propaganda and disinformation as such?

  2. Blazde Silver badge

    150,000 SIM cards laid end-to-end would stretch from Independence Square to St Volodymyr's Cathedral

    (just in case they need ideas what to do with them)

    1. IGotOut Silver badge

      150,000 SIM cards.....

      Anything but the Metric System eh?

      Also what size SIM cards?

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: 150,000 SIM cards.....

        Are they laden, or unladen, SIM cards?

        African or European?

      2. Blazde Silver badge

        Re: 150,000 SIM cards.....

        Anything but the Metric System eh?

        Would have liked to do football fields or tennis courts but it turns out nano-SIM cards are really tiny (who knew?) so you could pretty much lay 150k out on a court and play tennis around them without much bother

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: 150,000 SIM cards.....

          ...and then there's eSIMs, which don't really exist at all apart from some on and off states in a circuit somewhere :-)

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What is common between the channels?

    www.youtube.com/@RussellBrand

    www.youtube.com/@usefulidiots

    www.youtube.com/@TheKatieHalperShow

    www.youtube.com/@lenapetrova

    www.youtube.com/@thejimmydoreshow

    Hint: check back links. For example with ahrefs.com/backlink-checker

    In your opinion, what is the goal of the channels? Is it to fabricate multiple false interpretations, to confuse, until the impression is created that the true information is also fabricated?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What is common between the channels?

      "What is common between the channels?"

      I'm guessing that these channels disagree with your worldview.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What is common between the channels?

      They all have URLs that start with www.youtube.com ….

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What is common between the channels?

      Is the misinformation in the room with you right now?

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Updated list with 2 new items

      www.youtube.com/@RussellBrand

      www.youtube.com/@TheKatieHalperShow

      www.youtube.com/@usefulidiots

      www.youtube.com/@lenapetrova

      www.youtube.com/@thejimmydoreshow

      www.youtube.com/@RedactedNews

      www.youtube.com/@UnHerd

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Updated list with 2 new items

        Have you considered the possibility that Ukraine isn't actually 'winning'?

  4. sitta_europea Silver badge

    "...Along with others involved in the fraud, the criminal infected victims' computers with malware that caused a pop-up message to appear on their devices. These messages falsely warned victims that their machines had been infected with a virus, and it could only be fixed by paying up to $129 to buy a fake security program. ..."

    Er, hang on... if the criminals had infected the victims' computers with malware to pop up warning messages about malware, the warning messages weren't false, were they?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Just HTML and javascript manipulation, "malware that caused a pop-up message to appear" and scam the naïve. 'infect' was perhaps the wrong word, as it easily implied a persistent presence. Haven't you ever implemented the "turn it off, turn it back on" cure for a 'virus'?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who is going to stop the Western fake sources?

    Who is going to stop the western fake news sources?

    They are much more active than any Russian source -- as always with any war.

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