Russian hackers have obtained sensitive defense information technology by targeting US contractors, according to CISA

Russian country-sponsored hackers have been targeting US defence contractors for at least two years, and they acquired information on weapons, aircraft design, and gainsay communications systems over that period of time.

Co-ordinate to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Bureau (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Security Bureau (NSA), the state-sponsored actors have targeted both big and small cleared defence contractors (CDCs) and subcontractors with varying levels of cybersecurity protocols and resources.

These CDCs support contracts for the US Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Customs, the agencies said in a argument late on Wed.

“Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have targeted US CDCs from at to the lowest degree January 2020, through February 2022. The actors leverage access to CDC networks to obtain sensitive data about US defense and intelligence programmes and capabilities,” said the CISA.

Compromised entities accept included CDCs supporting the US Regular army, US Air Force, Usa Navy, The states Space Strength, and DoD and intelligence programmes.

Through these intrusions, the threat actors have acquired unclassified CDC-proprietary and export-controlled data.

“This theft has granted the actors meaning insight into US weapons platforms development and deployment timelines, plans for communications infrastructure, and specific technologies employed past the US regime and military machine,” the agencies warned.

Although many contract awards and descriptions are publicly accessible, program developments and internal visitor communications “remain sensitive”.

In multiple instances, the threat actors maintained persistent access for at to the lowest degree six months.

“Although the actors have used a diversity of malware to maintain persistence, the FBI, NSA, and CISA have too observed intrusions that did not rely on malware or other persistence mechanisms,” said the agencies.

In instances when the actors have successfully obtained access, the FBI, NSA, and CISA have noted regular and recurring exfiltration of emails and data.

For example, during a compromise in 2021, threat actors exfiltrated hundreds of documents related to the visitor’due south products, relationships with other countries, and internal personnel and legal matters, the agencies mentioned.

The FBI, NSA, and CISA now urge all CDCs to investigate suspicious activeness in their enterprise and cloud environments.

–IANS

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