After Microsoft's Security Breach, Crowdstrike CEO Explains Why Russian Hackers Are Hard To Beat

In a recent interview, CrowdStrike CRWD CEO George Kurtz explained why Russian hackers, particularly the group known as Nobelium, pose a significant challenge to cybersecurity.

What Happened: In an interview with CNBC, Kurtz discussed the recent security breach of Microsoft MSFT by a Russian intelligence group. The group, known as Nobelium, was able to access the email accounts of top Microsoft executives.

"This is a very determined adversary, but we've seen Cozy Bear in many different accounts, and the thing that makes them so difficult is they're low and slow, the way they operate,” he said.

Kurtz noted that Nobelium’s tactics are drawn-out, patient, and difficult to detect, making them distinct from other foreign adversaries. He emphasized that CrowdStrike uses its algorithms to identify these “low signals” and has been successful in stopping Nobelium in the past. He also mentioned that some of Microsoft’s customers seek additional support from CrowdStrike.

A Microsoft spokesperson communicated to Benzinga via email that the attack mentioned by Kurtz was not due to any vulnerability in Microsoft products or services.

“To date, there is no evidence that the threat actor had any access to customer environments, production systems, source code, or AI systems,” the spokesperson added.

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Why It Matters: The recent breach of Microsoft by Nobelium is not the first time Russian hackers have made headlines. In August, it was reported that Russian hackers had developed a new tool, Hidden Virtual Network Computer (VNC), that could give them full access to Apple Mac devices, allowing them to steal personal data and login credentials.

In July, China-based hackers exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Cloud to access U.S. government emails for a month. The attack took place ahead of a U.S.-China meeting and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was amongst the senior U.S. government officials targeted.

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Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Micorsoft