According to Microsoft, a hacker team related to the Russian government has tried to steal WhatsApp data from employees who are NGOs providing assistance to Ukraine.
In a blog post Thursday, Microsoft researchers said attackers related to the Russian Federation Security Service (FSB) sent emails to specific targets asking them to join the WhatsApp team. Phishing information is often from U.S. government officials and includes a QR code that allegedly will provide detailed information on initiatives designed to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Microsoft did not disclose whether any attempted intrusion led to successful violations.
According to Microsoft, the cyber attack is linked to Star Blizzard, an alleged state-backed hacker group. Redmond, Washington, said the U.S. Department of Justice has occupied 180 websites related to the group since October.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement that the company protected personal conversations with end-to-end encryption and encouraged users to click only on links to people they know and trust. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in December that it was “almost certainly” the star Blizzard group linked to the Russian FSB, as its history attempted to compromise on the U.S. and British politicians, academia and defense sectors. people. CISA said Star Blizzard specializes in potential targets on social media, finds its professional contacts and creates email accounts to disguise itself as its trusted colleague.
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