Russian hackers have set a reputation in the world for their top notch hacking skills that are mostly put to use for unethical purposes. They have gained an infamy for their sophisticated cyber attacks that often make use of advanced hacking skills and tools. They use a variety of methods to gain access to their victims device. Some of these methods include phishing, malware injections and social engineering.
There are some forms of hacking which are used by corporations to test the security of their systems. These include ethical hacking and penetration testing methods. Such procedures are often used by government agencies and other private corporations to make their systems less prone to hackers. These work by first identifying the vulnerabilities of a system and then fixing them to prevent future attacks using those vulnerable parts of the system. However, it has become a more challenging task to secure a device from foreign risks these days. Recently, Eurocontrol has announced that their website is under attack by Russian hackers.
Credits: https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2022/07/what-are-the-methods-and-motives-for-hacking.html
The Internet
However, it has become increasingly difficult to be totally hack proof as hacking groups from around the world gain access to new ways and advanced technology. The internet is also a major cause of the problem. Although, the internet has become the solution to all our problems these days whether it is a simple math problem or a medical diagnosis (Do consult your doctor and don’t reach any conclusions based on the internet) but being connected to the internet is what makes a device hackable.
You might wonder why important organizations connect their devices to the internet at all. The answer lies in our dependence on the service. While a lot of security forces do not connect their devices to the internet and any external hardware to avoid getting hacked, it is not always possible with all agencies. Some departments require the internet in order to function in the most efficient manner possible. For instance, the Air Traffic Controlling agencies have to make use of the internet for effective communication and processing of air traffic.
A Russian Hacker’s resume:
- Hacked into the Democratic National Committee systems and caused a massive leak of sensitive emails and documents. Many people believe that this move impacted the results of the presidential elections of the United States.
- Prior to the Russia-Ukraine War that started last year, the Russians had already launched cyber war against Ukraine in 2017. The Petya and NotPetya cyber attacks caused billions of dollars in damages to the world. The governments of various countries have associated the attacks with the Russian government.
- In 2020, a group of hackers allegedly backed by the Russian government penetrated the systems of numerous governments around the world including the United States. The systems of several private corporations were also breached.
- Might have worked with the Russian government on several projects.
The Russian government has denied any involvement in these attacks and has accused other countries of carrying out cyberattacks against Russia.
Eurocontrol problem:
The European air traffic controlling agency has been the latest target of the Russian miscreants. The agency reported that the cyber attack has caused their website to malfunction. The agency has announced that the attacks began on April 19th and have been continuing since. As per investigations, the nature of the attack is simple but its effects are well felt. A Russian hacking group has claimed responsibility of the DDoS attacks. Some people have speculated that this was done in response to the increasing support Ukraine is receiving from the western countries.
The agency has claimed that the issue does not affect passenger safety by any means and that they are using other older mechanisms for communication purposes. They have denied to issue statements on when they expect their service to be back on track.