How does the modified Russian Ethernet switch that Cisco provided free of charge to Ukraine work?
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Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Ukraine's energy infrastructure has frequently been victimized by Russian cyberattacks. Cisco , a major computer network equipment developer, is shipping modified Ethernet switches to Ukraine's state-owned power company Ukrenergo that can withstand Russian cyber attacks.
Modded Cisco switch stymies Russian electricity grid attacks • The Register
https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/22/cisco_modded_switch_ukraine/
Cisco aids Ukraine in cyber defense with modified switches to counter Russian attacks - IT World Canada
Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since late February 2022, has been jamming GPS signals to prevent drone and missile attacks by the Ukrainian military. This GPS signal interference has caused damage to substations in Ukraine that use GPS in industrial control systems.
When GPS signals are disrupted, systems within substations are unable to synchronize time and accurately report the status of the power grid to distribution personnel. As a result, if a substation is physically attacked, repair work may be delayed, or it may be difficult to investigate the cause of a problem with the balance of power supply across the grid due to disconnection, etc. It is said that there is.
Cisco provided Ukrenergo with a modified version of its Industrial Ethernet 5000 Series industrial Ethernet switch. The modified switch is equipped with a crystal oscillator, which allows it to maintain accurate time even when GPS is not available and there is radio interference. Additionally, Cisco has verified that the modified switch works properly in the Ukrainian winter, where temperatures can sometimes drop below -20 degrees Celsius.
Developing and manufacturing the modified switch cost approximately $1 million (approximately 150 million yen), but Cisco, which has announced its support for Ukraine, has been working with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce. After making adjustments, we provided the equipment to Ukrenergo free of charge. Joe Marshall, a senior security strategist at Cisco who led the development of the modified switch, said of the development: ``It's been an emotional journey over eight months.''
Thank you everyone for the kind words. It's been an 8 month emotional journey, with a wonderful team who care about Ukraine and helping to save lives. I had instant buy in from everyone, and something special happened to get this done. <3 all y'all.
— Joe (@ImmortanJo3) November 21, 2023
Ilya Vytiuk, head of cybersecurity at Ukraine's security agency SBU, said, ``Cyber attacks from Russia will continue during the winter of 2023-2024. Therefore, these measures are extremely important in Ukraine.'' ”.
In addition to providing retrofitted switches, Cisco has announced that it will continue to support Ukrenergo in modernizing its power grid infrastructure to improve control and protection systems for synchronization with European power grids. and emphasizes the close collaboration between Cisco and Ukrenergo.
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