Russian hackers appear to be preparing a new wave of cyberattacks on Ukraine, including a “ransomware” threat to organizations servicing Ukrainian supply lines, according to a Microsoft research report posted on wednesday.
The report, produced by the tech giant’s cybersecurity research and analysis team, outlines a number of new discoveries about how russian hackers have operated during the ukrainian conflict and what may come next.
“Since January 2023, Microsoft has observed that Russian cyber threat activity is adjusting to increase intelligence-gathering and destructive capabilities on civilian and military assets of Ukraine and its partners,” the report reads. One group “appears to be gearing up for a renewed destructive campaign.”
The findings come as Russia has been putting fresh soldiers on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, according to Western security officials.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Experts say the tactic of combining physical military operations with cyber techniques reflects earlier Russian activities.
“Pairing kinetic attacks with efforts to disrupt or deny defenders’ ability to coordinate and use cyber-dependent technology is not a new strategic approach,” said Emma Schroeder, associate director of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative.
Microsoft discovered that a particularly sophisticated team of Russian hackers, known within the cybersecurity research community as sandwormwas testing “more ransomware-like capabilities that could be used in destructive attacks against organizations outside of Ukraine that play key roles in Ukraine’s supply lines” .
Clint Watts, CEO of Microsoft’s Digital Threat Analysis Center, said, “In countries in the Americas and Europe, especially in Ukraine’s neighbors, Russian threats have sought to access government and commercial organizations involved in support efforts. to Ukraine”.
