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Microsoft reports another cyber attack
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Mike Segar / REUTERS
The US software company Microsoft has reported another far-reaching cyber attack by alleged Russian hackers in the US and at least 23 other countries.
"This wave of attacks targeted about 3,000 e-mail accounts in more than 150 different organizations," wrote Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt on his blog.
The hackers had therefore gained access to an e-mail marketing service that is used by the US agency for development cooperation (USAID).
The hackers sent phishing emails that looked like authentic USAID emails.
A link in the messages should be used to install malware.
This allows data theft and infection of other computers in a network, among other things.
Attack continues
According to Microsoft, the attack continues.
"At least a quarter of the targeted organizations are active in the areas of international development, humanitarian work and human rights." Behind this is the hacker group Nobelium, which was also responsible for the attack on the software of the US company SolarWinds.
"These attacks appear to be a continuation of Nobelium's multiple efforts to target government agencies involved in foreign policy as part of an intelligence effort," Burts wrote.
In response to the SolarWinds attack, among other things, the US imposed sanctions on Russia in April.
The US authorities blamed the Russian foreign intelligence service SWR for this attack.
The SWR rejected that.
The new attack comes a few weeks before the planned summit meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva.
hba / dpa / AFP