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Ukraine Scrambles To Contain New Cyber Threat After NotPetya Attack (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tussle-continues dept.

The Ukrainian software firm used as part of last week's global cyber attack warned on Wednesday that all computers sharing a network with its infected accounting software had been compromised by hackers. From a report: The attack used a virus, dubbed "NotPetya" by some experts, to take down thousands of computers in dozens of countries, disrupting shipping and businesses. A video released by Ukrainian police showed masked men in combat fatigues and armed with assault rifles raiding the offices of software developer Intellect Service late on Tuesday, after cyber security researchers said they had found a "backdoor" written into some of the updates issued by its M.E. Doc accounting software. M.E. Doc is used by 80 percent of Ukrainian companies and installed on around 1 million computers in the country. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said police had blocked a second cyber attack from servers hosting the software.

5 of 30 comments (clear)

  1. Memories by Zemran · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Has everyone forgot that a few years ago most malware was produced in Ukraine? Now they complain they are victims :D It would sound like irony but it will be blamed on Russia anyway regardless of what really happened.

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    I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
  2. 80%? by hackel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why is "M.E. Doc used by 80 percent of Ukrainian companies?" Since when is software a regional/national thing? It's not like those companies can't choose whatever accounting software they wish from anywhere in the world. How did this M.E. Doc establish such a monopoly in the country? It's bizarre, right? Is this some kind of Ukrainian-nationalism, where everyone only wants to support their own? (Yet they still choose to run Windows, which I'm sure has far fewer Ukrainian developers than any Linux-based operating system!) I really can't say that I feel bad for the individuals, but I feel bad for the country itself, since surely its economy doesn't need this kind of a blow right now.

    1. Re:80%? by cag_ii · · Score: 2

      I'd guess it's due to tax laws, not software, being a /very/ regional thing.

    2. Re:80%? by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why is "M.E. Doc used by 80 percent of Ukrainian companies?"

      Probably because it does accounting better for Ukrainian businesses, following changes in Ukrainian financial regulations far more quickly than does its international competitors and probably at a better price point. At least that's what my marketing sense tells me.

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      That is all.
    3. Re:80%? by nickol · · Score: 2

      This kind of accounting software indeed is a regional thing. It is intended for use in small to medium business and it has ready-made forms and reports. Also it reflects changes in local laws and regulations. Think of it like of a software for filling tax forms, it is not universal worldwide. In Russia there also exists the similar product, called 1C.
      Windows? Yes, it's a long story. I do not know details about Ukraine, but in Russia until 1994 there were almost no laws against software piracy. Everybody could copy Windows without any risk. As a consequence, there are too many people who know only Windows. MEDoc and 1C are too busy implementing latest laws and regulations into their products, that they have no resources for development for Linux. BTW 1C has no Linux version also. I mean, in Russia there is the same threat.
      I think nobody in Ukraine expected this.