Microsoft has just released a report titled “Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from Cyberwarfare”. With this study, the American giant takes stock of the cyber war waged by Russia since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. In total, the Kremlin launched assaults on the networks and infrastructure of 42 countries.
As you know, the war in Ukraine is not just taking place on the streets of kyiv or Mariupol. The conflict is also taking place on the web, where thehe Russia is waging a relentless cyber war against Ukrainian infrastructure, but also against those of the countries allied to the government of Volodymyr Zelensky.
From the earliest days of the war, Russian hackers ravaged the country with devastating malware capable of deleting all data stored on targeted devices. Since then, cyberattacks have multiplied at breakneck speed. As Microsoft recalled via a report published at the end of April 2022, Russia had already launched no less than 237 cyberattacks against Ukraine.
However, the Redmond firm has just published a new study baptized “Defending Ukraine: The First Lessons of Cyberwarfare”. “The report reveals new information about Russian efforts, including increased network penetration and espionage activity among allied governments, non-profit organizations non-profit and other organizations outside Ukraine”, summarizes Microsoft.
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42 countries targeted by Russian cyberattacks since the start of the war
As the presentation of the American giant reveals, cyberattacks against other governments have multiplied in recent weeks. These attacks succeeded in circumvent defense systems in 29% of cases. Further sign of the intensification of the cyber war waged by Russia, Microsoft assures that no less than 42 countries have been targeted by the Russian intelligence services and hackers in the pay of the Kremlin.
Unsurprisingly, the United States remains the priority target, as well as NATO member countries such as France. Lately, the Baltic countries found themselves in the crosshairs of Russian pirateswith a significant increase in cyberattacks against Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
The report states that 128 organizations were affected by cyberattacks since the start of the war. Half of them are government agencies, while the rest are IT departments of large corporations and NGOs. Hackers also show ingenuity to achieve their goal. We remember those Russian hackers who pretended to be diplomats to infiltrate the networks of several embassies.
“The Russian invasion relies on a cyber strategy that includes at least three separate and sometimes coordinated efforts: destructive cyberattacks inside Ukraine, infiltration and espionage of outside countries, and influence aimed at people all over the world”, explains Brad Smith, vice president of Microsoft.
