This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience. Cookie Policy
Accept
Sign In
The Wall Street Publication
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: They Fled Ukraine to Keep Their Cyber Startup Alive. Now, They’re Hacking Back.
Share
The Wall Street PublicationThe Wall Street Publication
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.
The Wall Street Publication > Blog > Tech > They Fled Ukraine to Keep Their Cyber Startup Alive. Now, They’re Hacking Back.
Tech

They Fled Ukraine to Keep Their Cyber Startup Alive. Now, They’re Hacking Back.

Editorial Board Published May 12, 2022
Share
They Fled Ukraine to Keep Their Cyber Startup Alive. Now, They’re Hacking Back.
SHARE

Dozens of employees at Ukrainian cybersecurity startup Hacken fled their war-torn country and found refuge about 2,000 miles away in Portugal. Since then, they have managed to keep their business alive and are now supporting cyber operations against Russia.

Contents
Hacken CEO Dmytro Budorin in Lisbon with his children, Rimma and Roman.Damage at Denys Ivanov’s Kyiv home following a missile blast in April.

The company moved its main office from Kyiv to Lisbon, with stops in between, mirroring the drastic measures taken by millions of Ukrainians seeking to escape danger and preserve their livelihoods while the Kremlin wreaks havoc. For Hacken Chief Executive Dmytro Budorin, keeping his business going in the fast-growing market for cryptosecurity meant urging his workers to flee before the bombs began to fall.

“How will I feel, how will I look into the eyes of my employees, if we had the opportunity, had the money, understood that something can go wrong, and we didn’t do at least something to try to get everybody out?” he said.

Hacken CEO Dmytro Budorin in Lisbon with his children, Rimma and Roman.

Photo: Anastasiya Budorin

Hacken, a five-year-old company that tests blockchain-based projects for security flaws, employs about 80 auditors, developers and other crypto specialists. Many contribute to the war effort by finding vulnerabilities in Ukrainian and Russian computer systems and reporting the information to Kyiv’s Ministry of Digital Transformation or National Security and Defense Council, Mr. Budorin, 35, said.

Hacken’s Liberator application, which allows users to lend computing power to distributed denial-of-service attacks against Russian propaganda sites, counts more than 100,000 downloads. The company is also contributing to targeted efforts against Russian businesses, including an attempt to pressure the suppliers of Russian military footwear manufacturers, Mr. Budorin said.

Non-state actors supporting both sides of the conflict have exchanged fire mostly via low-impact cyberattacks. Those hitting Russian targets have met with little scrutiny despite pushes by Washington and Brussels in recent years to set international norms limiting such cyber activity, said Stefan Soesanto, senior cyber defense researcher at the Center for Security Studies at Swiss university ETH Zurich.

“Within the Ukraine conflict, a lot of norms and rules for non-state behavior—or even company behavior—are gone now,” he said.

Mr. Budorin sees Hacken’s offensive efforts in terms of right and wrong. “This is not the time to be afraid of something,” he said.

Hacken’s journey across Europe began Feb. 14, as Western officials warned of a Russian invasion. Some employees discounted the possibility of an attack but in a meeting at Hacken’s office, located in a former Russian military factory in Kyiv’s central district, company leaders advised the team to work elsewhere for two weeks. Mr. Budorin said they thought the move would be temporary. The company offered $4,000 to workers who left the country and $2,000 to those who relocated within Ukraine.

Chief Business Development Officer Yevheniia Broshevan and others were on a plane to Barcelona the following day. Other colleagues went to Turkey, Austria or western regions of Ukraine. Nine days later, Russian forces invaded. By that time only a few dozen Hacken employees remained in the country to face the bombing raids and occasional communications blackouts.

“After all of that, we realized how lucky we were to have made the decision early,” Ms. Broshevan said.

Hacken executives said they split the company into two teams to maintain focus amid the flood of news alerts about Russia’s onslaught and Telegram chats from family and friends.

One team handles Hacken’s core business as it attempts to grab a greater share of the cryptosecurity market and develop subscription-based software slated for rollout later this year. The other pitches into the loosely organized cyber counteroffensive against Russia.

For Denys Ivanov, Hacken’s 35-year-old chief operating officer, making money to support Ukraine, along with aiding the digital war effort, is a better use of the team’s expertise than taking up arms. It has also helped him overcome a sense of guilt for leaving the country as it was attacked.

“The feeling that you were safe was so bad,” Mr. Ivanov said.

Mr. Ivanov said he and his wife went to Spain initially without their two children, who stayed in Ukraine with his parents. Four days after the war began, Mr. Ivanov flew to Bucharest, Romania, took buses and taxis to the edge of Moldova and crossed into that country by foot to meet his parents at a checkpoint on the Ukrainian border. He then drove back to Barcelona with his children—aged six and seven—over the next three days. His parents remained in their hometown in the Odessa region, far from the most intense fighting.

Damage at Denys Ivanov’s Kyiv home following a missile blast in April.

Photo: Artem Ivanov

Hacken executives are now planning for the long term. Office space and the cost of living in Spain were pricey, they said, so the company last month moved to Lisbon.

Mr. Ivanov went ahead to the city to scout out flats and send videos back to colleagues, renting about 20 apartments on their behalf. The company is offering employees 500 euros extra each month to relocate there.

Hacken has continued to grow in revenue and headcount, despite cutting ties to Russian customers unless they denounce the war, said Mr. Budorin, the chief executive. The company generates roughly $1 million a month in revenue and is profitable, he said. Hiring new employees has proved easier than expected, Mr. Budorin added, given that so many Ukrainian tech workers are out of jobs. The World Bank has estimated Ukraine’s economy will contract by 45% this year.

Adjusting to a working life with colleagues in a Lisbon office he described as “cozy,” Mr. Ivanov, the chief operating officer, said he’s trying to save money on food and other expenses as he budgets for educating his children and sending funds to five family members back home.

“Each of us [is] just waiting until Ukraine is going to win this war,” he said. “And each of us thinks it’s our mission to get back and to try to rebuild.”

Write to David Uberti at [email protected]

Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

TAGGED:Tech NewsWall Street Publication
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Silicon Battery Maker Amprius to Go Public in .3 Billion SPAC Merger Silicon Battery Maker Amprius to Go Public in $1.3 Billion SPAC Merger
Next Article Foxconn Faces Covid Logistics Disarray in China Foxconn Faces Covid Logistics Disarray in China

Editor's Pick

Emman Atienza Reason for Demise: Social Media Star Passes Away at 19

Emman Atienza Reason for Demise: Social Media Star Passes Away at 19

Studying Time: 2 minutes Beloved influencer Emman Atienza has been discovered lifeless in Los Angeles. She was simply 19 years…

By Editorial Board 2 Min Read
Oakland-born former Raiders RB Martin dies at 36; trigger ‘unconfirmed,’ household says
Oakland-born former Raiders RB Martin dies at 36; trigger ‘unconfirmed,’ household says

By Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Occasions TAMPA, Fla.— Doug Martin, whose mix…

4 Min Read
A part of Birmingham ‘cannot be no-go space for Jews’, cupboard minister tells Sky Information | Politics Information
A part of Birmingham ‘cannot be no-go space for Jews’, cupboard minister tells Sky Information | Politics Information

Power Secretary Ed Miliband stated he “profoundly” disagrees with the “approach” taken…

7 Min Read

Oponion

As Putin rages, some outsiders move closer to NATO

As Putin rages, some outsiders move closer to NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s tough talk and threatening military buildup…

January 3, 2022

Asking Eric: My son begged us to not deliver up our grievance to his sensitive in-laws

Expensive Eric: We dwell in the…

June 8, 2025

Danville trainer’s protection: He meant to ship video of his genitals to prostitute, not teen lady

MARTINEZ — A jury has been…

October 14, 2025

Even MAGA minions name bullsh-t on Trump’s social media lies

One thing very uncommon simply occurred:…

September 4, 2025

Shannon Sharpe Sued For $50 Million, Accused of Threatening to Choke Ex-Girlfriend ‘In Public’

Studying Time: 3 minutes Former NFL…

April 23, 2025

You Might Also Like

Gear Information of the Week: There’s But One other New AI Browser, and Fujifilm Debuts the X-T30 III
Tech

Gear Information of the Week: There’s But One other New AI Browser, and Fujifilm Debuts the X-T30 III

An more and more standard resolution is the inclusion of a photo voltaic panel to maintain that battery topped up,…

6 Min Read
Pondering A few Pair of Open Earbuds? The Baseus Encourage XC1 Would possibly Be for You
Tech

Pondering A few Pair of Open Earbuds? The Baseus Encourage XC1 Would possibly Be for You

Talking of crucial listening, the XC1 work with Sony’s hi-res succesful LDAC Bluetooth codec, do you have to occur to…

3 Min Read
Don’t Let the Fuzzy Rats Win: Ideas from a Squirrel Hater Who’s Seen It All
Tech

Don’t Let the Fuzzy Rats Win: Ideas from a Squirrel Hater Who’s Seen It All

Squirrels: Are they only rats with higher PR? Be suggested that this isn't secure studying materials for squirrel lovers, and…

4 Min Read
The Finest {Couples}’ Intercourse Toys to Spice Up the Bed room or Lengthy Distance Enjoyable
Tech

The Finest {Couples}’ Intercourse Toys to Spice Up the Bed room or Lengthy Distance Enjoyable

Different Intercourse Toys to Think aboutListed below are just a few different toys that are not as nice because the…

4 Min Read
The Wall Street Publication

About Us

The Wall Street Publication, a distinguished part of the Enspirers News Group, stands as a beacon of excellence in journalism. Committed to delivering unfiltered global news, we pride ourselves on our trusted coverage of Politics, Business, Technology, and more.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?