Tech companies are helping Ukraine fend off hackers from across the globe. Microsoft reported it disrupted attacks from Russian nation-state hackers Strontium. The company said it obtained a court order to take control of seven internet domains the hacker group was using to perform the attacks. Microsoft said the domains were being used to target Ukrainian institutions including media organizations. They said they were also targeting government institutions in the US and EU to retrieve sensitive data and provide tactical support for the ongoing invasion. They re-directed the domains to a Microsoft-controlled sinkhole to mitigate the hackers’ ability to use them.
Facebook also released a report highlighting how they have come to the aid of Ukrainian military personnel targeted on the social media platform. Hacker groups are gaining control of Facebook accounts by first infiltrating email accounts, and then using them to access social media. Once they have control, the hackers post videos calling for the Ukrainian military to surrender, and they appear as if they are created by a member of the military. Facebook has stepped in to remove and block the videos and reinstate the accounts to the rightful users.
Microsoft also announced legal action they took against a Russian botnet named ZLoader. The ransomware group claimed they would scale back attacks on hospitals and healthcare providers at the start of the pandemic, but new evidence shows they continued the attacks at the same rate. Microsoft said the hacker group originally targeted individual personal information to steal money from bank accounts. They evolved into a ransomware group that targeted schools and healthcare facilities. Microsoft said they took control of 65 domains being used by the botnet, and an additional 319 regenerated domains. They are working to block further regeneration so the criminals are not able to further generate and control the botnet.
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