The UK cybersecurity agency and partners reveal Russian cyber campaign targeting Ukraine military

Collaborative efforts between cybersecurity and intelligence agencies from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have brought to light a sophisticated mobile malware strain targeting Android devices used by the Ukrainian military.

This malware, named ‘Infamous Chisel,’ has been attributed to a Russian state-sponsored threat actor known as Sandworm. Infamous Chisel exhibits a range of capabilities, including the ability to facilitate unauthorized access to compromised devices, conduct file scans, monitor network traffic, and periodically steal sensitive data.

The primary objective of this mission is to comprehensively investigate solar winds - these often trigger disturbances on Earth, and manifest as the captivating natural phenomena known as auroras.

All seven scientific payloads onboard have been meticulously developed through indigenous collaboration between India's esteemed space agency and prominent scientific institutions.

If Aditya-L1's mission achieves success, it will mark a monumental achievement as the first Asian nation to position a probe in solar orbit, a domain traditionally dominated by the United States and the European Space Agency (ESA). The PSLV XL rocket, with a mass of 320 tonnes, custom-designed by ISRO, is the reliable workhorse propelling this mission. This rocket has been instrumental in powering previous Indian space ventures, including missions to the moon and Mars.

The scientific significance of this mission cannot be overstated. As highlighted by Somak Raychaudhury, a key contributor to the development of specific observatory components, solar energy particles possess the potential to impact critical communication satellites orbiting our planet.

Historically, instances have arisen where major communication disruptions were attributed to the interference of satellites by substantial corona emissions. Given the increasing global reliance on satellites in low Earth orbit, this mission assumes paramount importance.

India has consistently demonstrated its ability to match the accomplishments of established spacefaring nations while maintaining remarkable cost-efficiency. For example, the successful lunar landing mission was achieved at a fraction of the cost incurred by other nations, at less than $75 million.

India's space ambitions continue to soar, with its historic Mars orbiter mission in 2014 positioning the nation as the first in Asia to achieve this milestone. Future endeavors include a planned crewed mission into Earth's orbit, slated for launch in the coming year. This further solidifies India's status as a burgeoning force in space exploration.