A group of Russian-based hackers, referred to as Calisto and Coldriver, have launched phishing attacks on computer networks belonging to NATO, U.S.-based think tanks, and a Ukraine-based defense contractor, according to a new report from Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG).
"TAG has observed a continuously growing number of threat actors using the war [in Ukraine] as a lure in phishing and malware campaigns," the report says.
"Financially motivated and criminal actors are also using current events as a means for targeting users. For example, one actor is impersonating military personnel to extort money for rescuing relatives in Ukraine. TAG has also continued to observe multiple ransomware brokers continuing to operate in a business-as-usual sense."
"For the first time, TAG has observed Coldriver campaigns targeting the military of multiple Eastern European countries, as well as a NATO Center of Excellence," the report says. "These campaigns were sent using newly created Gmail accounts to non-Google accounts, so the success rate of these campaigns is unknown. We have not observed any Gmail accounts successfully compromised during these campaigns."
The attacks have all occurred within the last two weeks, according to the Threat Analysis Group.
The report came after an alert by the FBI on Tuesday that noted election officials in at least nine states have received invoice-themed phishing emails containing links to websites that could be used to steal login credentials, all since October 2021.
The agency said that on Oct. 5, 2021, "unidentified hackers targeted election officials in nine unnamed states, and representatives of the National Association of Secretaries of State with phishing emails."
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has been urging U.S. companies to make certain all necessary steps are taken because of "evolving intelligence" that Russia is considering launching cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targets as the war in Ukraine continues."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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