As the war in Ukraine continues to unfold, the impact of the conflict on cyber security is advancing. In a new report published by Microsoft, they warn that Russian intelligence agencies are significantly increasing the number of cyber-attacks they commit against countries that are supporting or allied to Ukraine.
Whilst it might be logical to think that these attacks are only targeting government systems, they aren’t. Microsoft’s data suggests that any sectors that may have valuable information related to the war or their respective government are being targeted as well. This includes aid groups, charities, think tanks, and a huge number of businesses.
So far, Microsoft have identified over 100 organisations outside of Ukraine that have already been targeted by cyber-attacks. From their data, it seems as if the USA is the primary target, but the UK and Poland have also been targeted by these cybercriminals.
There are several reasons for these attacks: to retrieve sensitive data, to disrupt military and humanitarian aid, and to cause geopolitical destabilisation. For any organisations that are involved with the government, store sensitive data pertaining to national security, or actively take part in humanitarian aid, a cyber-attack from Russia is a very real threat.
Microsoft also made a point to note that countries and organisations with a high uptake of cloud services were less likely to be affected by a cyber-attack. This is allegedly due to it being easier to detect intruders in cloud environments.
Critically, Microsoft identified that around 29% of these Russian cyber-attacks are successful, with a quarter of the successful attacks leading to data being stolen from the organisation’s network.
As Microsoft continues to reduce its presence in Russia, this report further cements their assertion that Russian cyber-attacks, focused on the Ukraine war, are a very real threat for UK businesses.
If your organisation is involved in any of the industries mentioned above, it’s critical that you prepare your cyber security strategy and infrastructure accordingly. If you have any concerns, get in touch with Wizard IT today. Our cyber security experts can walk you through our services and how we can ensure your organisation is protected against any emerging cyber threats.
