Star Blizzard's Cyber Secrets: The Russian Hackers Disrupting The West

Star Blizzard, a hacking group with ties to Russian intelligence, has been targeting Western think tanks and officials using sophisticated spear phishing techniques. Microsoft and US authorities have seized over 100 domain names linked to the group as part of efforts to combat their cyberespionage activities.

Star Blizzard, a hacking group allegedly tied to Russian intelligence, has attempted to infiltrate the systems of numerous Western think tanks, journalists, and former military and intelligence officials. Microsoft and US authorities made this revelation on Thursday.

The cyberespionage group employed spear phishing emails, resembling those from trusted sources, to breach victims' internal systems, aiming to steal information and disrupt activities. Microsoft described Star Blizzard as persistent and sophisticated, often researching targets in detail prior to attacks.

On Thursday, a US court allowed the seizure of over 100 domain names associated with Star Blizzard, following a lawsuit filed by Microsoft and the NGO-Information Sharing and Analysis Centre. Authorities expect Russia to continue deploying cyberattacks against the US and its allies, with Star Blizzard linked to Russia's Federal Security Service.

(With inputs from agencies.)