With New Zealand becoming one of the many countries to impose heavy sanctions against Russia, there is growing fear that politically motivated hackers may mount cyber attacks in retaliation.

Daniel Watson, managing director of Vertech IT Services and author of She’ll Be Right (Not!): A Cybersecurity Guide for Kiwi Business Owners, told Radio New Zealand that local businesses should be on high alert for attacks that could severely impact day-to-day operations.

Russian hacktivists could easily hijack a website or perform ransomware attacks, Watson said, adding that companies could find themselves ensnared in these schemes through a cleverly disguised virus that has been passed around unknowingly.

Watson advised companies to invest in having their internet-facing and digital operating systems regularly updated, since hackers would likely target organisations with little to no protections in place.

Watson also suggested that companies should prepare a backup and disaster recovery plan. Additionally, he emphasized the value of cybersecurity insurance, noting that companies may stand to lose more from disruptions caused by cyber attacks compared to the cost of a policy.

Experts outside of New Zealand have issued similar warnings about the possibility of Russian cyber attacks as retaliation, considering how Ukraine’s internet service has continuously been targeted since the invasion started last February.  As noted by the Australian Cyber Security Centre, “there has been a historical pattern of cyber attacks against Ukraine that have had international consequences.”

In an interview with the Financial Times, Kevin Mandia, founder of American cybersecurity company Mandiant, said: “If you want to do a reciprocal attack … in regard to financial sanctions or an embargo on Russian oil, a cyber attack is probably the first tool that might be chosen.”