Microsoft Says Disrupted Hacking Attempts By Russian Spies Targeting Ukraine, US And EU

On Thursday, technology giant Microsoft Corporation MSFT said it had disrupted cyberattacks from Russian military spies targeting Ukrainian media. The spies were purportedly attempting to break into Ukrainian, European and American entities.

In a blog post — Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, Customer Security & Trust — Tom Burt said that a group named "Strontium" was using seven internet domains to conduct attacks on Ukrainian institutions as well as government bodies and think tanks in the U.S. and the European Union involved in foreign policy.

"We believe Strontium was attempting to establish long-term access to the systems of its targets, provide tactical support for the physical invasion and exfiltrate sensitive information. We have notified Ukraine's government about the activity we detected and the action we've taken," Burt said.

See Also: Intel Exits Russia Over Ukraine Invasion; 1,200 Employees Impacted

Strontium is a nickname for Microsoft's moniker, Fancy Bear or APT28, a hacking squad linked to Russia's military intelligence agency. Microsoft further added that it has been tracking it for years.

According to the tech giant, nearly all of Russia's nation-state actors are engaged in the ongoing offensive against Ukraine's government and critical infrastructure.

Price Action: Microsoft shares traded 0.37% higher in the pre-market session on Friday.