Security News > 2021 > May > Microsoft: Russian SVR hackers target govt agencies from 24 countries

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center has discovered that the Russian-backed hackers behind the SolarWinds supply-chain attack are now coordinating an ongoing phishing campaign targeting government agencies worldwide.

"While organizations in the United States received the largest share of attacks, targeted victims span at least 24 countries."

The threat actors behind these attacks, a hacking group tracked as Nobelium by Microsoft and likely backed by the Russian government, sent the phishing emails using USAID's compromised Constant Contact account.

Cybersecurity company Volexity also published a report linking this phishing campaign with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operators based on tactics previously used in attacks going back to 2018.

More details, including the attackers' motivation, the malicious behavior observed by Microsoft during the attacks, and best practices to defend against this ongoing campaign, can be found in MSTIC's report.

In December, the SolarWinds network management company was breached in a cyberattack that allowed the attackers to launch a supply chain attack targeting the company's customers.

News URL

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-russian-svr-hackers-target-govt-agencies-from-24-countries/