Kremlin-backed hackers are targeting foreign embassies in Moscow, Microsoft warned.
Russian internet service providers are obliged to work with the government, and attackers use them to plant malware on diplomats’ computers, apparently allowing them to see passwords and bank details and to change what users see, perhaps showing them fake login pages. The group behind the effort is believed to be a Russian security service unit, and among “the world’s most active and sophisticated state-sponsored hacking groups,” said Ars Technica.
Cyberwarfare and espionage is an increasingly vital tool for governments: A US- and Israeli-designed “worm” damaged Iranian nuclear centrifuges in 2010, and more recently, a Ukrainian cyberattack grounded hundreds of flights by Russia’s state airline.