Experts saw significant increase in Russian-based phishing campaigns

March 14, 2022
Experts Significant Increase Russian Hackers Phishing Campaigns Cybersecurity

Phishing campaigns from Russia have dramatically increased since the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Based on reports, the rise in cyberattacks, especially phishing campaigns, has grown exponentially since the last weeks of February this year.

A security analyst stated that they examined more than a couple of million email inboxes since February 16. However, on February 27, the cyberattacks increased by approximately eight times compared to the average volume of daily phishing attacks.

According to a recent tally, the average number of phishing emails per 100,000 emails ranges from 30 to 50. Since the Ukraine-Russian conflict, the phishing campaign skyrocketed to about 400 emails per day.

The Russian-based threat actors’ phishing attacks aimed to steal credentials to take over Ukraine-based email accounts. They also aimed to target international transportation, shipping, and manufacturing companies affiliated with European and American companies.

Moreover, experts discovered about five to seven chains of malicious activities being closely attributed to the Russian-based threat actors.

The researchers also anticipate observing new strategies of bypassing Office 365 detection solutions by employing sophisticated evasion tactics. Many experts said that the attack’s uniqueness lies in its sheer volume and not in the obfuscations since security providers can easily detect these attacks.

 

Other small-time hackers also exploited the phishing campaigns since they are taking advantage of the current conflict in the region.

 

Experts claimed that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine gave minor cybercriminals tremendous opportunities to test out their different phishing attacks.

Some hackers are sending infected emails to Microsoft users with the subject “Microsoft account unusual sign-in activity.” These emails originated from Moscow and are conducted to gather credentials and personal data.

Although the attacks are not sophisticated, researchers are still concerned since they can cause many users to be concerned.

Phishing campaigns have become a more significant threat since threat actors distribute them during the military invasion of Russia. Experts suggest that everyone remain calm, keep an alert mind, and avoid clicking unwanted emails from unknown senders.

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