Cyberthreat News – Events Through August 2023
Welcome to Cyberthreat News, our weekly digest of the latest cybersecurity incidents, trends, and news. This edition covers events through August 2023.
August 2023: A Canadian politician was targeted by Chinese disinformation campaigns on WeChat in retaliation for his criticism of China’s human rights policies. August 2023: Russian hackers breached Ukrainian Armed Forces’ combat information systems, but didn’t access critical data about upcoming missions. August 2023: A Russian malware worm spread through email attachments in Ukraine, and then penetrated a law firm’s networks to target lawyers working on cases involving pro-Ukrainian activists.
October 2023: Hackers breached the networks of three European defense sector companies to steal specialized knowledge about advanced single-rotor drones that North Korea is developing. The hacks were part of a wider espionage campaign that began in 2023.
November 2024: Salt Typhoon global telecom espionage: China-linked hackers infiltrated telecom providers to steal call data and long-term intelligence on political figures.
December 2024: Russian hackers attacked Romanian electoral systems ahead of the country’s presidential elections, but did not gain unauthorized access to voter databases or compromise election results. The attack raised questions about electoral integrity.
Australia, the United States, South Korea, and Japan joined Australia in warning their citizens of malicious Chinese state-sponsored cyber activity. The countries also warned of Chinese attacks on their critical infrastructure. In an unusual joint statement, Australia urged the other six nations to take steps to prevent cyberattacks on their governments and citizens.