Tag Archives: cyber-attacks

News

Tech News : Russia Cautions Cyber Attacks May Start Military Confrontation

The growing number of cyber-attacks since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine have led The Russian Foreign Ministry to warn that more western cyber-attacks on its infrastructure could lead to a direct military confrontation.

Housing Ministry Website Hack 

The warning followed an apparent cyber-attack on the Russian housing ministry website which led to a “Glory to Ukraine” sign (in Ukrainian) being displayed.

Several Russian state-owned companies and news organisations have been targeted with cyber-attacks since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February. For example, hacks have affected Russia’s RuTube video-hosting platform, and the satellite television broadcast of Moscow on Victory Day.

Interstate Confrontation Threat Increased 

Russia has claimed that its critical infrastructure and state institutions are being hit with more cyber-attacks from the United States and Ukraine. This has triggered an accusation by Russia that the U.S. is “deliberately lowering the threshold for the combat use” of IT, and the chilling warning that “The militarization of the information space by the West, and attempts to turn it into an arena of interstate confrontation, have greatly increased the threat of a direct military clash with unpredictable consequences.”

Cyber Attacks By Russia 

There were of course no references made to the many cyber-attacks emanating from Russia from the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine. For example:

– Back in January, defacements of Ukrainian government websites and the deployment of Whispergate destructive malware believed to have been carried out by Russian Military Intelligence.

– In February, the cyber-attack impacting Viasat.

– The cyber-attacks on oil facilities in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

– It’s also worth remembering that last year, the U.S. sanctioned Russia over the ‘SolarWinds attack’ where alleged Russian-state sponsored cyber-criminals accessed 18,000 government and private computer networks, and over alleged Interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

State-sponsored cyber-attacks are nothing new and have been ongoing for many years, as a means to steal secrets, disrupt, interfere, and apply pressure as part of the power struggle between many countries, and notably between east and west. It should be no surprise to Putin’s government that following their own cyber-attacks against and the invasion of Ukraine that cyber-attacks on their own state’s infrastructure would follow. Based on the magnitude of recent threats by Russia, the strong wording of its warning over cyber-attacks is also to be expected and could also be a sign recent cyber-attacks are causing enough damage and disruption to be noticed by Russian people, and annoy Putin’s government. The list of businesses and global companies that have now pulled out of Russia is significant and still growing and news indicates that sanctions are having a massive impact on the Russian economy. For example, the Institute of International Finance estimated that the crisis could wipe out 15 years of economic development and the IIF estimates Russia’s gross domestic product will shrink 15 per cent this year. Many of the big names that have pulled out of Russia will, of course, suffer financial consequences themselves but may also may now want to boost their own cyber defences in case they are now targeted by Russian state-sponsored hackers.

News

Security Stop-Press : 50% Increase In Cyber Attacks On Corporate Networks In 2021

Figures from software technologies company ‘Check Point’ show that an upward trend of malicious activity through 2020 reached a peak of 925 cyber-attacks a week per organisation at the end of 2021. The result of this trend was a massive 50 per cent increase in cyber attacks on corporate networks in 2021, with education and research the most attacked sectors.

News

What SMEs can learn from high-profile cyber-attacks

Just under half of all cyber-attacks are aimed at small to medium-sized businesses but, the risk isn’t limited to just those organisations. It is a risk that everyone faces, even national and international brands.

This week, budget airline company, EasyJet, fell victim to a cyber-attack. Around nine million people’s travel information and contact details were hacked in the breach along with 2,208 customers’ credit card details.

In a statement, EasyJet clarified to its customers that “issues of security are taken extremely seriously” and customers who have had their credit card details accessed are being contacted.

The news of the cyber-attack came just days after UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab highlighted the rise in cyber hackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities and steal valuable information during the coronavirus pandemic.

EasyJet is not the only high-profile organisation to fall victim to such highly sophisticated cyber-attacks. The likes of the NHS, British Airways and cleaning company ISS World have all been at the centre of huge hacks or data breaches. 

What is a cyber-attack?

As defined by the National Cyber Security Centre, cyber-attacks are “malicious attempts to damage, disrupt or gain unauthorised access to computer systems, networks or devices, via cyber means”.

Cyber-attacks can come in many guises. Being aware and taking preventive steps against them are the best ways to protect business from an attack.

What are the different types of cyber-attack?

There are two different categories of cyber-attack; targeted and untargeted. Each category contains different ways that hackers can target an individual or organisation.

Untargeted attacks are not specifically aimed at any one type of person or organisation. They seek out multiple revenues for exploitation. These include:

Phishing – whereby emails are sent out to a large number of people asking for personal data or containing fake links which often contain harmful material

Water holing – compromising a legitimate website or creating a fake one for users in order to exploit them and their personal details

Ransomware – a type of malware which criminals use to gain access to and lock users out of files. Files that have been locked will often be used as leverage for ‘ransom’ to have the files returned

Scanning – searching a large area of the internet randomly to find sites to attack

Targeted attacks are aimed at an individual or organisation that has been singled out and often more thoroughly thought out and damaging. These include:

Spear phishing – similar to phishing however the emails are sent to targeted individuals

DDoS extortion – distributed denial of service attacks are attempts to overwhelm a website by supplying it with a large amount of traffic. This typically results in a server crash. Criminals will contact organisations and threaten to subject them to a DDoS

Subverting supply chain – this involves attacks on software or other suppliers that the organisation relies on

How do I protect myself or my organisation from cyber-attacks?

The variety of cyber-attacks and the ways in which hackers operate can be daunting, however you can protect yourself and your organisation. Bigger companies, such as EasyJet, are more at risk from more sophisticated and targeted attacks while SMEs are more likely to fall victim to untargeted attacks. SMEs can protect themselves against these types of attacks by taking preventative measures.

Not all measures to protect yourself from cyber-attacks have to be complex. Simple steps such as having secure passwords and installing security software all go a long way to protecting your computer or devices. Read our blog for six top tips for increasing your computer security.

During COVID-19 we are providing our clients with access to training, including topics such as cyber security, to pass onto their employees. Internal training on matters such as this can reduce the risk of attacks which include a decision made by an employee, for example, opening a scam email or attachment.

In a society where cyber threats are evolving at a rapid pace, the need to keep on top of cyber-security, is vital and even the most experienced computer users can run into issues. If you need advice, feel free to contact us.