Tag Archive for: firm

Russia behind cyber attacks on Western utilities, security firm says | Yle News

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“It’s kind of an escalation in that we’re seeing more than just data collection, surveillance and intelligence gathering,” Mikko Hyppönen says.

Portrait of a man with glasses, a mustache and dark hair combed back into a ponytail, wearing a blue blazer.

Withsecure’s research director Mikko Hyppönen Image: Jari Kovalainen / Yle

Russia has used malware in cyber attacks on targets in Eastern European countries since at least mid-2022, according to Finnish cyber security firm Withsecure.

More specifically, the company has reported that a Russian military intelligence effort led to the breach of databases belonging to an Estonian logistics company.

Finland’s eastern neighbour also appears to have tampered with water utility data systems in the US, France and Poland, according to Mandiant, a data security firm and subsidiary of Google.

So far, the cyberattacks do not appear to have caused significant disruptions. For example, the attack in the US caused a water tank at a facility in Texas to overflow until the system was brought under control, according to CNN.

But according to Withsecure’s research director, Mikko Hyppönen, it is a serious matter if Russia has started carrying out cyber attacks on Nato countries’ utilities.

“It’s kind of an escalation in that we’re seeing more than just data collection, surveillance and intelligence gathering,” Hyppönen told Yle.

Hyppönen: Russia attacked Estonian firm

At the end of 2022 malicious code dubbed “Kapeka” helped hackers to breach a database belonging to an Estonian logistics firm. A recent study at Withsecure revealed who was behind the attack, according to Hyppönen.

“Our research linked the Kapeka malware directly to Russia’s Sandworm group, the country’s military cyber intelligence unit,” he explained.

The Sandworm group is known for having carried out several destructive attacks in Ukraine, including temporarily knocking out the war-torn country’s electricity grid.

“Kapeka’s development and deployment likely follow the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Kapeka being likely used in targeted attacks of firms across Central and Eastern Europe since the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” a Withsecure brief on the matter explained.

According to Hyppönen, the Sandworm-delivered malware in Estonia caused disruptions at the…

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Russian ‘Cyber Sabotage’ A Global Threat: Security Firm

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A Sandworm cyber hacker groups linked to Russian intelligence services is expected by computer security firm Mandiant to take aim at Western elections the Kremlin would like to sway


Indranil Mukherjee

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Fujitsu hack raises questions, after firm confirms customer data breach • Graham Cluley

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Fujitsu hack raises questions, after firm confirms customer data breachFujitsu hack raises questions, after firm confirms customer data breach

Fujitsu has warned that cybercriminals may have stolen files with personal and customer data after it discovering malware on its computer systems.

The firm at the center of the British Post Office scandal, said in a Japanese press release that it had discovered the presence of malware on its computers, the potential theft of customer data, and apologised for any concern or inconvenience caused.

Fujitsu announcementFujitsu announcement
Announcement published on Fujitu’s Japanese website.

The press release (a Google-translated version can be read here), is somewhat scant on detail.

For instance:

  • Fujitsu doesn’t disclose the malware found, the number of affected computers, or the internal systems or databases accessed.
  • Fujitsu doesn’t specify the type of malware found – a remote access backdoor? ransomware? something else?
  • Fujitsu doesn’t share details about the stolen information, calling it “personal information and customer information.” For instance, does it include contact details, passwords, or payment information?
  • Fujitsu announced on Friday 15 March that it suffered a cyber attack, but didn’t specify when it was discovered or how long the hackers had access to its systems and data.

Fujitsu says it has reported the incident to regulators and will contact affected individuals and customers.

The company also says that it has not seen any reports of the potentially stolen information being misused. Statements like these are meant to reassure affected parties, but they don’t make you feel much more comfortable in reality.

An absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. How could a company ever confidently and honestly claim it has incontrovertible proof that exfiltrated data has not been exploited by malicious hackers and online fraudsters?

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In the past, there have been many incidents where data stolen in a hack has not immediately shown up, before appearing on the dark web months or even years later.

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Law Firm Sues MSP Over Black Basta Ransomware Attack

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A managed service provider (MSP) has been slapped with a lawsuit by a prominent Sacramento, California law firm alleging that it failed to protect it from a ransomware attack that took down its systems.

The lawsuit, which has generated a significant amount of chatter in the channel community, filed by the law firm Mastagni Holstedt in Sacramento Superior Court, claims that LanTech LLC, a privately-owned Sacramento company, failed to adequately protect it from the attackers.

MSSP Alert has reviewed the complaint in which Mastagni is seeking more than $1 million in damages. The firm employs 42 lawyers.

LanTech owner Terry Berg and backup provider Acronis, a Delaware-based provider, doing business in California, are also named as defendants in the filing. Berg has owned LanTech since its inception in 1994.

The plaintiff alleges that they were forced to pay the attackers, said in the complaint to be Black Basta, an undisclosed sum to regain access to its network. The incident occurred in February, 2023 and the lawsuit was filed last month.

Reached by telephone, a LanTech employee declined to comment and said he knew nothing about the suit. Acronis denied any responsibility for the ransomware attack.

“Our investigation revealed that access credentials may have been compromised outside of our systems and used to delete the firm’s backups and execute a ransomware attack,” the company said in a statement to the Sacramento Bee. “Acronis has not been served with the lawsuit and will not be commenting further on this litigation.”

Black Basta, a Russian-speaking group ransomware-as-a-service crew first detected in 2022, is said to have orchestrated some 300 ransomware attacks that have landed it more than $100 million in bitcoin ransom payments.

LanTech describes itself as a “team of IT engineers with a passion for delivering exceptional service to businesses in the Sacramento region. We specialize in network management and have extensive experience in analyzing, integrating, and maintaining crucial IT systems for our clients.” The MSP lists Microsoft, Dell and HP Enterprise as “partners.”

“Major Outage” Sparks Lawsuit

The lawsuit claims that the plaintiff and LanTech entered into an…

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