A Warning From The NCSC

1.8 Minute Read

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK's authority on cyber attack threats and defense, part of GCHQ.

Russian Hackers Launch Global Spear-Phishing Blitz

The NCSC has issued a warning that Russian state-sponsored hacking group "Star Blizzard" is attacking high-value targets worldwide through precisely targeted spear-phishing emails. I’ve condensed that warning here, with some steps you can take to protect your business.

[Editors Note]: Hackers probably don’t look like this.

Star Blizzard conducts espionage on behalf of Russia's FSB security agency. Their goal is stealing credentials to infiltrate sensitive systems for future disruptive cyber attacks.

Targets include government agencies, media outlets, universities and small businesses. Spear-phishing dupes victims into clicking malicious links and enabling malware downloads via socially engineered urgency messages.

The NCSC assesses Star Blizzard as an FSB unit undermining geopolitical adversaries and democratic processes through cyberwarfare.

Be Proactive - Not Reactive

Steps you can take today are:

• Training staff to spot phishing indicators like urgency cues, incorrect domains

• Enabling multi-factor authentication to block access from stolen passwords

• Monitoring antivirus and filtering tools to catch threats

• Updating all software, on a regular basis, to close vulnerabilities

• Backing up data offline regularly in case of corruption attempts

As Russia pursues global aggression physically and digitally, organizations must remain vigilant against advanced threats like Star Blizzard through education and layered security.

Reach out to find out about our best in class cyber security training designed for every day users, not expert hackers.