In recent weeks, hackers linked to remote access have manipulated radio stations connected to the global network. An interview with a cyber expert named Sergey Vakulin, conducted by RIAMO, illuminates how these intrusions unfold. Vakulin explains that attackers managed to replace a file within a broadcast playlist with an ominous air raid notification, triggering alarms and confusion for listeners who rely on pauses and cues in the programming schedule.
Vakulin notes that the perpetrators likely chose to alter only a single element of the broadcast, preferring not to stream everything online. The risk for hackers is real: streaming data can expose patterns and methods that undermine their own anonymity, making it easier for investigators to identify the source. The intrusion is described as subtle yet potent, with the attack occurring in the pre-dawn hours when studios are less staffed and pre-programmed playlists are on air, reducing the chance of immediate detection.
The expert highlights how attackers can exploit what he calls consolidated information to gain access to internal systems. This kind of breach shows the vulnerability of radio infrastructure when connected to broader networks, especially during quiet hours when staff presence is minimal. Reports from earlier on the Telegram channel Baza indicated that on the morning of February 22, warnings of air strikes and missile threats were broadcast on multiple stations across cities including Belgorod, Stary Oskol, Ufa, Kazan, Novouralsk, and the Moscow region. Later, Russian emergency authorities confirmed that the incident stemmed from a hacker attack, underscoring the growing danger of cyber operations targeting public information channels.