In brief

• The Air Alert app is back in operation after a cyberattack on 1 November.
• Access to enemy aerial target data now requires verification through the Diia app.
• Air raid alerts, danger levels and shelter maps remain available without authorization.
• The ministry urges users to update the app and rely only on verified information from the Defense Forces.

Service restored after cyberattack

The Air Alert application is working again, and it once more shows the movement of hostile aerial targets, including Russian Shahed drones (Після кібератаки "Повітряна тривога" запрацювала по-новому: що потрібно зробити для доступу – TSN) (Додаток "Повітряна тривога" знову працює: Ігнат розповів про наслідки кібератаки РФ – UNIAN) (Приложение Воздушная тревога снова показывает вражеские воздушные цели, но теперь требуется авторизация – NV). Officials say the developers have tightened protection after the system was hacked (Застосунок "Повітряна тривога" знову працює: рух повітряних цілей тепер бачитимуть лише верифіковані користувачі – Espreso) (Застосунок «Повітряна тривога» відновив роботу і тепер працює з посиленими заходами безпеки – Suspilne).

What changed for users

At the request of the Ukrainian Air Force, a new requirement was added: users who want to see information about enemy aerial targets must verify themselves through the Diia app. The Ministry of Digital Transformation said the goal is to keep this data away from Russia, which could use it for military purposes.

Diia does not transfer personal data to Air Alert. It only confirms that the user has completed verification, and Air Alert does not collect or store personal information.

Which functions remain open

Authorization is not needed for every feature. Users can still receive air raid alerts, check danger levels and find shelters on an interactive map without signing in through Diia.

Background of the attack

On the evening of 1 November the app stopped working after a hacker attack, and its push notifications were switched off. Around 23:00 users began receiving Russian-language messages with false warnings about a nuclear threat, radiation danger, the launch of Oreshnik missiles and street fighting in Kyiv. The Air Force denied any such threat. Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said the app is only an additional alert channel and does not belong to the Air Force, and that the incident did not affect the official warning system.

What users should do

The ministry urged people to update the app through Google Play or the App Store, complete authorization in Diia to access data on enemy movements, and rely only on verified threat information from the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

Air Alert was developed with Ajax Systems and Stfalcon, which together with the ministry audited the system and strengthened protection at all levels.

Read also

• Ukraine's Hacked Air Alert App Was Switched Off as Russia's Emergency App Stayed Under Repair