North Korean Hackers Target Russian Diplomats And Russian Aviation Research Institute

JAKARTA - According to a blog post published by Microsoft Corp on Thursday, September 7, North Korean hackers have targeted Russian diplomats. They have even managed to hack a Russian aviation research institute earlier this year.

Microsoft did not identify the victims specifically and provided little details or evidence, but said the hacking attack took place in March this year.

"North Korean threat groups may be taking advantage of opportunities to gather intelligence against Russian entities because of the country's focus on war in Ukraine," the report said.

North Korea's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a message when asked for comment on the report. The Russian Embassy in Washington also did not immediately respond to emails from the media.

Spying on military and diplomatic rival organizations is a standard operating procedure for hacking squads used by intelligence agencies around the world. North Korea has been repeatedly accused of using hackers to target defense and diplomacy-related targets in South Korea, the United States, and elsewhere.

However, allegations that Pyongyang is spying on its own ally, Russia, can be even more awkward as the two countries get closer to war in Ukraine.

Last month, Reuters and researchers from cybersecurity firm SentinelOne Inc revealed how North Korean spies had hacked major Russian missile developers for at least five months ago - which allowed them to collect intelligence data on Russian rocket hypersonic missiles and propellant technology.

Microsoft's allegations were made in a report on siberespionase in East Asia, which also included previous reports by American technology firms about Chinese hackers targeting critical US infrastructure, as well as new allegations of Chinese propaganda operations, which Microsoft said had "continued to increase" by using artificial intelligence and social media influences.

The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Beijing routinely denies allegations of cyber subversion.