Microsoft says detected, disrupted alleged Russian state-sponsored cyber attack

Washington:  Microsoft cybersecurity personnel detected and disrupted an alleged cyber attack by a Russian state-backed actor, the Microsoft Security Response Center said in a statement.

“The Microsoft security team detected a nation-state attack on our corporate systems on January 12, 2024, and immediately activated our response process to investigate, disrupt malicious activity, mitigate the attack, and deny the threat actor further access,” the statement said on Friday.

Microsoft identified the threat actor as Midnight Blizzard, also known as Nobelium, the statement said. The group is a Russian state-sponsored actor, according to the statement.

The group used a password spray attack to gain access to a small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts, including members of the senior leadership team, the statement said. There is no evidence the group accessed customer environments, source code or artificial intelligence systems, the statement said.

The attack highlights the continued risk posed by nation-state threat actors, the statement said.

Microsoft continues to investigate the incident and will take additional actions based on the investigation’s outcomes, the statement said. Microsoft will also continue to work with law enforcement and appropriate regulators on the matter, the statement said.

UNI/SPUTNIK