European Officials Become Phishing Target Sponsored By Russia-Supporting State

JAKARTA – An actor from an unnamed country has now targeted European officials with malicious software. According to cybersecurity firm Proofpoint, Wednesday, February 2, this is an apparent attempt to try and disrupt efforts to help refugees in Ukraine.

Proofpoint did not identify the specific country behind the attack. But they note that it is anecdotally similar to a campaign carried out by a hacking group dubbed Ghostwriter - also known as TA445 or UNC1151 - which has previously been identified as working in Belarus' interests.

"Proofpoint has identified the possibility of certain state-sponsored phishing campaigns using possibly compromised email accounts of members of the Ukrainian armed forces to target European government personnel involved in managing logistics for refugees fleeing Ukraine," the researchers said in a post on the company's website.

In an emailed statement, the Belarus embassy in London said its government had "nothing to do with the facts" outlined in the report.

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing fierce fighting in Ukraine have flowed across the borders of central Europe as Russian troops bombard Ukrainian cities. Now Russian troops appear ready to advance into the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

Last Friday, Ukrainian cybersecurity officials said military hackers from Belarus targeted the personal email addresses of Ukrainian military personnel "and associated individuals".

"A campaign targeting European officials could be the next stage of this attack," Proofpoint researchers said.

"It may also be an attempt to obtain intelligence on logistics around the movement of funds, supplies and people within NATO member states," they added.

"While the techniques used in these campaigns are not groundbreaking individually, when used collectively, and during high-tempo conflicts, they have a fairly effective capability," the Proofpoint researchers said.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 700,000 people have fled to neighboring countries since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations Refugee Agency has warned the current exodus looks set to be Europe's biggest refugee crisis this century.