Russia is still the main topic in international and cybersecurity news.
In a recent CISA alert, the FBI and NSA revealed Russian state-sponsored cybercriminals targeted US defense contractors and subcontractors to steal sensitive, but not classified, information over the past year. The hackers were interested in documentation on combat systems, missile development, and intelligence. Click here to read the complete alert.
As the US, UK, and EU continue to impose more severe sanctions against Russia and its leaders, the cybersecurity community is waiting for retaliation. Around the world, critical infrastructure is on high alert from a cybersecurity standpoint. The UK’s National Health Service is bolstering its security, Germany’s energy sector is on high alert, and US banks have increased network monitoring.
Cyber experts understand that a cyberattack would be a low-cost way for Russia to retaliate against any of the countries imposing sanctions on them. The focus Monday on freezing assets and bank accounts adds to the likelihood of a cyber threat against Western Nations. In 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, they retaliated against sanctions by targeting US banks. Customers were unable to use ATMs or mobile banking after that attack.
Within Ukraine, Russia is interested in spreading disinformation. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are all reporting compromised Ukrainian accounts spreading disinformation about the conflict. The social media companies said they were busy shutting down accounts and notifying hacked individuals.
On Monday, Microsoft announced a new, never-before-seen malware threat used against Ukraine called FoxBlade. Microsoft says it detected the new trojan malware just hours before Russia launched its first missile strikes last week. This new malware erases data on computers and then can use compromised computers in DDoS attacks. Microsoft updated its virus detection system to combat the new malware within three hours of its detection.
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