Because Zimbra allows custom mail flow rules, Russian intelligence (APT28) has tried to spoof @police.gov.ua addresses. The National Police responded by implementing strict DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records (policy: p=reject), meaning any unauthenticated email claiming to be from police.gov.ua is automatically dropped.
Before diving into the specific domain, it is essential to understand the software. Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) is an enterprise-grade email and calendar server. Originally developed by Zimbra, Inc., and now owned by Synacor (with significant open-source community support from the Zimbra OSE project), Zimbra is popular among government and educational institutions for several reasons:
Ukraine’s police force has historically utilized Zimbra to manage internal memos, shift reports, and investigative correspondence.
Ukrainian government and law enforcement domains (.gov.ua, police.gov.ua) have been significant users of Zimbra Collaboration Suite (open-source edition). Since the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022, these Zimbra instances have become priority targets for Russian-aligned threat actors (e.g., APT28, Sandworm, Gamaredon). Multiple vulnerabilities in Zimbra (e.g., CVE-2022-27924, CVE-2023-38792) have been actively exploited against Ukrainian state agencies, leading to data breaches, email eavesdropping, and credential theft. zimbra police gov ua
Following a series of cyberattacks on Ukrainian infrastructure (notably the 2017 Petya malware attack and ongoing Russian hybrid warfare), the Ukrainian government pushed for decentralized, secure, and auditable communication systems. Zimbra was chosen for several reasons:
The police.gov.ua Zimbra server has been a target of constant cyber warfare. Here are notable threats and countermeasures:
⚠️ DO NOT attempt to log in unless you are an authorized user.
The police.gov.ua email system is restricted to official personnel. Unauthorized access attempts – even guessing a password or exploiting a vulnerability – are illegal under Ukrainian law (and likely the laws of your own country). Because Zimbra allows custom mail flow rules, Russian
🔒 Phishing risk:
Cybercriminals often create fake login pages mimicking Zimbra interfaces. Searching for “zimbra police gov ua” may lead to malicious sites designed to steal credentials. Always verify the URL:
📜 Legal framework (Ukraine):
Unauthorized access to automated systems, including government email servers, violates the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Articles 361–363). Penalties include fines, restriction of liberty, or imprisonment.
Zimbra is a high-value target for cyberespionage. Ukraine’s police force has historically utilized Zimbra to
Ukraine’s law enforcement embarked on a massive digital transformation following the Revolution of Dignity (2014) and the ongoing hybrid war with Russia. The old Soviet-style document flow (paper-based) was vulnerable to loss, theft, and physical destruction.
In the mid-2010s, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВС), which oversees the National Police, sought to modernize.
Thus, the police.gov.ua domain was registered, and Zimbra became the standard for internal officer communication.