As the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates, the less visible are Russia’s formidable cyber forces that would be preparing to unleash a new wave of cyber-attacks on Ukrainian and western energy, finance, and communications infrastructure. While there are not currently any specific credible threats to the U.S. homeland, it’s important to be mindful of the potential for the Russian government to consider escalating its destabilizing actions in ways that may impact others outside of Ukraine. Below are snapshots of recent Russian attacks that have affected the US.
- December 2020 – SolarWinds – supply chain attack that affected 18,000 customers and approximately 100 choice networks, including Microsoft, US Justice Department and NASA.
- June 2020 – Coronavirus Vaccine Research – Russian hackers target British,Canadian and American organizations using malware and fraudulent emails. Goal was to steal intelligence on vaccines from universities, companies and other health care organizations in order for Russia to develop their own vaccine more quickly.
- January 2020 (through February 2022) – Targeting of U.S. cleared defense contractors (CDCs). The acquired information provided significant insight into U.S. weapons platforms development and deployment timelines, vehicle specifications, and plans for communications infrastructure and information technology.
- June 2017 – NotPetya malware – $10 billion of damage globally.
- June 2016 – Leaks of documents stolen from the U.S. Democratic National Committee.
What should you do? This is a smart opportunity to review your office security culture and make improvements. Even the smallest steps will help and we can get you started! Contact a member of the BMT team today.
