FBI, partners release Russian cyber activity report

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently announced that it has joined law enforcement partners in releasing a Cybersecurity Advisory addressing Russian military intelligence cyber activities.

The FBI, along with the National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), generated the report detailing intelligence against domestic and global organizations from mid-2019 through early 2021.

Per the entities, “Russian GRU Conducting Global Brute Force Campaign to Compromise Enterprise and Cloud Environments” demonstrates how the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) 85th Main Special Service Center (GTsSS) sought hundreds of domestic and foreign organizations via brute force access to penetrate government and private sector victim networks.

The tactics seek to yield valid credentials through extensive login attempts by utilizing leaked usernames and passwords or guessing with variations of the most common passwords.

Additionally, the GTsSS evades defenses while collecting and exfiltrating information. Law enforcement officials are warning system administrators exploitation remains ongoing.

The collaboration is committed to investigating and gathering evidence and intelligence to pursue and disrupt the threats. Tools at their disposal would be utilized to ensure safety, security, and confidence in a digitally connected world.