Russian Hackers at the prowl. Two large hacking attacks aiming at disrupting energy businesses and key infrastructure allegedly targeted 135 nations, including South Africa, between 2012 and 2017, according to the United States.
Daily Maverick reports that the goal was to conduct a sophisticated effort to target and breach networks of vital infrastructure and energy firms throughout the world.
The South African energy utility, Eskom, was questioned if it had been attacked by Russia and answered that it, like many other organizations, has to deal with a variety of cyber-attacks. But Eskom could not say if they were directly targeted by Russians or not.
The fact that cybercriminals are actively targeting a wide range of industries, including our own, is well-known to us.” When it comes to thwarting cyberattacks, Eskom relies on a team of information and cybersecurity experts and tools.
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When it comes to the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, South Africa has taken a neutral position. It was previously reported that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had expressed his hope that negotiations between the two countries involved in the conflict would lead to peace, but he did not identify which side he was on.
Kaspersky’s Antivirus Software
It has lately been claimed that Kaspersky’s antivirus software has been used to break into organizations’ systems during the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that the Russian government would be able to disrupt and destroy their systems if they succeeded to get into the countries’ mentioned corporations.
According to reports, the Russian Embassy in South Africa hasn’t stated anything in response to the claims made by the United States.
What The Russian Hackers Intend To Achieve
According to reports, Russian hackers targeted a US government agency that handles nuclear power facilities and a petrochemical company in Saudi Arabia.
In exchange for information leading to the arrest and conviction of three Russian nationals, the United States government has offered a reward of up to $10 million. They have been deemed a flight risk by the FBI.
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After that, it went on to say that “this group includes oil and gas companies around the world, electric grid companies, atomic power plants (and) renewable energy businesses, engineering groups, and sophisticated technology firms.”
There were no details provided in this indictment on which South African companies were targeted and whether or not they had been successfully hacked.