Russian state-sponsored cyberattacks are being used as weapons to further intimidate Ukraine and other Western countries. According to data provided by the Atlas VPN team, over 50% of the cyberattacks originating in Russia targeted the United States. Other top targets include UK, Canada and Germany.
Most targeted countries
55% of the Russian state-sponsored threat actors targeted the United States. 8% of the attacks were targeted at organizations and government agencies in the United Kingdom while 3% of attacks originating in Russia were directed at Canada.
2% of Russian state-sponsored cyberattacks targeted Ukraine. Threat actors launched attacks against government institutions for disrupting their usual services and critical energy infrastructure to leave people without electricity.
Switzerland was targeted in 2% of Russian cyberattacks. Attacks on other Western countries and Baltic states constituted 27% of all state-sponsored attacks. This type of threats against the US and Western Europe are Russia’s response to sanctions and military aid to Ukraine.
Most targeted industries
State-sponsored hackers are targeting specific industries to create as much chaos as possible. DDoS attacks disrupt government websites services. Cybercriminals carryout malware campaigns to steal sensitive information and such criminals are sophisticated and difficult to detect.
29% of Russian-sponsored attacks are targeted at the information technology industry. These attacks were launched against the IT sector to gain access to government and other sensitive networks. By accessing these networks cybercriminals will be able to spread destructive malware.
Russian-sponsored state threat actors launched 18% of their attacks on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to earn quick money. 12% of cyberattacks targeted government agencies and services to steal potentially sensitive data, like employee names, email addresses, and passwords. Besides, DDoS attacks on government websites can severely disrupt their usual services.
12% of Russian hackers targeted education organizations and 5% were launched at financial service institutions. 24% of attacks carried out by cybercriminals affiliated with Russia were on other types of industries.
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