Germany’s Hawkish Greens Report Computer System Hack
After a trove of personal details were stolen from party computer systems, German police have now launched a probe into a suspected hack of the Greens’ computer system. Several emails have been leaked, some were forwarded outside the system. The Greens, who are part of the government’s ruling coalition, were the most hawkish party in the coalition and have led debates over Germany’s response to Russia. The party has limited its computer system since the hack took place on June 13, but said the identity of the hackers has not been revealed.
The cyberattack was aimed at government-issued electronic cards, subsidized fuel, and a spreadsheet containing classified details of Special Forces soldiers. It also targeted electronic billboards, changing their text to display anti-regime messages. According to the U.S. and British governments, the Russian GRU also tried to breach 250 Office 365 accounts and stole the intellectual property of U.S. and Israeli defense companies. In addition, the attack affected several maritime transportation companies with Middle Eastern presence.
The cyberattack also targeted oil terminals in Europe, preventing them from processing incoming barges. Researchers suggest that the operation is part of a broader campaign to target Palestinian groups and individuals. The hacking group is believed to be connected to other attacks by Russia. The hackers have also stolen data and information related to the Israeli government. Further, it was also claimed that hackers targeted Palestinian individuals and organizations with malware.
In April 2022, hackers targeted the national post office of Ukraine. This occurred just days after the release of a stamp honoring a Ukrainian border guard. The attack also affected the agency’s online store. In March 2022, a DDoS attack shut down the National Telecommunications Authority of the Marshall Islands, disrupting internet services for several days. Meanwhile, in India, the government has announced that Russian hackers have targeted a number of its employees in an espionage operation. A group of hackers has created fake military and government websites.
Cyberattacks are not new. A global hacking campaign, known as the SolarWinds supply chain attack, has compromised thousands of systems around the world. The hackers used the company’s Orion software, which is used to manage IT resources, to inadvertently deliver backdoor malware to thousands of systems. The attack aimed to make solarwinds a lucrative target.
In January 2022, Russia-linked hackers began a new campaign targeting the computers of diplomats from different countries. It started with a phishing email that delivered a malware-laden file. The Iranian government also announced that they had thwarted the cyber intrusion, but did not provide any other information about the hack. As of February 2022, a number of defense contractors in Belarus were hacked, collecting sensitive information.
A significant hack of the SolarWinds IT management system has caused a resurgence in interest in the cybersecurity industry. Governments and companies alike have been scrambling to develop new ways of reacting to attacks. It is becoming increasingly clear that simply building a firewall is not enough. Organizations must actively seek out weaknesses in their systems and turn them into traps to deter attacks.