The war in Ukraine continues to have “cyber consequences”. This week, Microsoft revealed that it had halted hacking attempts by alleged Russian military spies targeting Ukrainian, European and American targets.
The Redmond firm said a group, dubbed Strontium, was using seven internet domains to spy on government agencies and think tanks in the European Union and the United States, as well as Ukrainian institutions such as media. “We believe Strontium was attempting to establish long-term access to its targets’ systems, provide tactical support for physical invasion, and exfiltrate sensitive information”said Tom Burt, a Microsoft executive who oversees the group’s efforts to counter large-scale cyberattacks.
A cybercriminal team linked to the Russian military intelligence agency
Strontium, more often referred to as Fancy Bear or APT28, is a hacking team linked to the Russian military intelligence agency. The latter is in the sights of Microsoft, which has been trying since 2016 to put these Russian military spies out of harm’s way.
With the intensification of Russian attacks in the context of the war in Ukraine, the firm of Satya Nadella was able to move up a gear. The American giant also clarified that it plans to provide a more complete overview of the extent of cyber warfare in Ukraine in the coming weeks.
