Microsoft Executives’ Email Accounts Hacked by Russian Intelligence
On January 12, news emerged of a computer attack on the email accounts of senior Microsoft executives, with the company identifying the hackers as being linked to the Russian intelligence service. The cyberattacking group, known as ‘Midnight Blizzard’, is focused on collecting intelligence information through long-term and constant espionage on foreign interests, according to reports.
Microsoft revealed that the activity of Midnight Blizzard, also known as “Nobelium”, dates back to early 2018. The targets of the attack were not limited to regular employees, as the hackers managed to gain access to the accounts of senior executives within the company.
Thankfully, Microsoft’s security team detected the attack on January 12 and activated defenses that blocked hackers’ access, effectively mitigating the breach. The incident began in November of last year, when the hackers were able to enter a password that served as a “foothold” to access some Microsoft corporate email accounts, including those of senior executives and members of the security team.
Despite the breach, Microsoft assured that there was no evidence to suggest that the attackers accessed customer accounts, production systems, source code or artificial intelligence software at the company.
“We will act immediately to apply our current security standards to legacy Microsoft-owned systems and internal business processes, even if those changes involve disruptions to existing business processes,” a statement from the company read.
In addition, it was affirmed that the attack did not affect clients, production systems, source code or artificial intelligence systems.
In other technology news, analysts are predicting that Apple will pivot toward AI computing, similar to the way it pivoted toward the smartphone. The company reportedly plans to develop its own computer chip for “Macs with AI” and is expected to leverage AI technology in its camera, digital assistant, Siri, and other devices.
The personal computer market, which has experienced a resurgence due to the shift to remote work and learning, presents significant opportunities for Apple. Analysts believe that AI integration will be essential for Apple’s future success and predict that the company’s pivot toward AI computing will be a crucial move in the coming year.