UkraineNow.org, a nonprofit organization that helps feed, clothe and house refugees from the Russian war, is now also helping protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure from cybersecurity attacks and malware, with the help of partners. Russian cybercriminals have been targeting energy and IT providers with destructive viruses that have deleted data and disabled computers, according to Reuters.
With its latest mission, UkraineNow is leveraging robust partnerships with western donors and cybersecurity companies like Yubico, which work with the digital security company Hideez in Ukraine to protect IT infrastructure with stronger login credentials.
"I am very excited to support this collaboration and bring more to it through our network of volunteers and private companies that are ready to support the work of Hideez on the ground,” said Artur Kiulian, founder of UkraineNow.org.
“We need to stop Russia from destroying computer systems, satellite modems, and networks which are interrupting personal, business, and government communications.”
Kiulian recently met with Yubico and Hideez and agreed to support their collaboration with donations, volunteers, and connections that may lead to faster implementation of Yubico's security keys.
In March, Hideez reached out to Yubico to ask for its support in helping protect and restore cybersecurity in Ukraine. When the war started, much of the Hideez team decided to stay in Ukraine to lend their expertise, products, and services to the most targeted Ukraine entities and IT systems.
Yubico lent technical support and donated 30,000 YubiKeys, a multi-protocol security key that supports FIDO2, to stop hackers from taking over accounts. Since then, about 20,000 of the YubiKeys have been deployed by Hideez to a dozen government agencies and companies providing critical infrastructure, including:
Yubico joins other Swedish cybersecurity companies supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Those efforts are being coordinated by Netnod on behalf of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The company provides critical infrastructure support including interconnection services and root server operations.
Need for funding
To finish deploying the remaining 10,000 YubiKeys to the critical infrastructure in Ukraine, Hideez needs immediate, additional funding of $60,000 to cover the salaries of its 15-person team that conducts the deployment work on the ground.
If Hideez receives more than $60,000, these funds will allow Hideez to deploy additional YubiKeys to several government agencies that have already requested them. Additional funds would also be used for purchasing rugged computers and other IT equipment needed by the Hideez team and Ukraine government agencies.
"We want Ukraine to be a prime example of how to build a strong and effective cyber defense. Strong, phishing resistant, authentication is a core for securing account" Oleg Naumenko, CEO of Hideez said.
Donation information
If you are based in the US and if you wish to support Hideez in the effort to deploy YubiKeys, then you can make a tax-deductible donation to UkraineNow, a 501c3, IRS-approved non-profit organization.
About UkraineNow
UkraineNow.org is a global initiative based in Los Angeles. The 501©3 nonprofit was created within hours of the Russian invasion on February 24th, 2022 to mobilize volunteers worldwide to help evacuate Ukrainian children, the elderly and those with disabilities from the war zone. Today, UkraineNow has more than 2,000 volunteers. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Mexico Oksana Dramaretska endorsed UkraineNow in April, 2022 as an agent of information and education about the crisis. California State Senator Josh Newman (D-29) supported UkraineNow’s fundraising efforts with a Certificate of Recognition on April 30, 2022.
MEDIA: UkraineNow founder Artur Kiulian is available for interviews. Contact Deborah@JackTracyMarketing.com or call 303.887.7249.
Additional links
Yubico's blog about the donation of hardware: https://www.yubico.com/blog/yubikeys-protecting-critical-it-infrastructure-in-ukraine/
Hideez efforts on deploying the hardware: https://hideez.com/