The Russian-backed hackers behind the SolarWinds attack have now broken into computer systems of upwards of 150 international organizations that have been critical of President Vladimir Putin, The New York Times reported.
According to the Times, this latest hack by the Russian operatives was “particularly bold.”
- “By breaching the systems of a supplier used by the federal government, the hackers sent out genuine-looking emails to more than 3,000 accounts across more than 150 organizations that regularly receive communications from the United States Agency for International Development,” reported the Times.
- The attack — which targeted “think tanks, consultants and nongovernmental organizations” — was first disclosed by the Microsoft Thursday evening. “At least a quarter of the targeted organizations were involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work,”according to Microsoft.
- The technology company said Nobelium, the hackers responsible for the 2020 SolarWinds campaign that attacked the U.S. government agencies and business, was responsible.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said on Twitter Thursday night that computer attacks like this are “only escalating” and that “gov’ts and the private sector must do more to address” hacking.
- In its press release, Microsoft said Nobelium accessed USAID accounts and then sent phishing emails which included a backdoor that “could enable a wide range of activities from stealing data to infecting other computers on a network.”