Ukraine: Microsoft, Russian cyber espionage in 42 countries

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 24 - Since the conflict began and a coalition of countries has come together to defend Ukraine, Russian intelligence agencies have intensified their espionage activities against allied governments.

Intrusion attempts were detected on 128 organizations in 42 countries outside Ukraine.

The United States was the number one target but activities also targeted Poland and Baltic countries such as Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Turkey.

This was found by the intelligence and data division of Microsoft, which has been conducting periodic analyzes since the conflict erupted.

    According to the survey, there has been an increase in activity in the face of foreign ministries of NATO countries, governments, think tanks, humanitarian organizations, technology companies and energy suppliers and other critical infrastructures.

These actions have "been successful 29% of the time - explain the investigators - a quarter of these successful intrusions have led to the confirmed exfiltration of the data of an organization".

    The security division of Microsodt explains that "as the war progresses, Russian agencies are concentrating their 'cyber-influence' operations on four distinct target groups by targeting the Russian population with the aim of supporting the war effort, the Ukrainian population with the aim of supporting the war effort. to undermine confidence in the country's willingness and ability to resist Russian attacks, American and European populations to undermine Western unity and sidetrack criticism of Russian military war crimes by starting to target the populations of non-aligned countries for their own support for the United Nations ".

   Microsoft points out that Russian cyberattacks can only be thwarted through public-private collaboration.

Governments, companies, non-governmental organizations and universities must work together to protect critical infrastructure and citizens.

(HANDLE).