Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Cybercrime

OSCE Confirms ‘Major’ Cyber Attack

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, an international election and war monitor, said Wednesday it had become the latest global institution to suffer a “major” cyber attack.

The Vienna-based OSCE has its origins in the Cold War but after 1991 it expanded and now has 57 member states including the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, an international election and war monitor, said Wednesday it had become the latest global institution to suffer a “major” cyber attack.

The Vienna-based OSCE has its origins in the Cold War but after 1991 it expanded and now has 57 member states including the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

It currently has 700 monitors focused on the conflict in eastern Ukraine and is also active in observing elections and tracking media freedom.

OSCE spokeswoman Mersiha Causevic Podzic told AFP in an email that it “became aware of a major information security incident” in early November.

The attack “compromised the confidentiality” of the organisation’s IT network and put “its integrity at risk”, although it was still able to operate, she said.

According to French daily Le Monde, which first reported the incident, a Western intelligence agency believes that Russian hackers group APT28 was behind the attack.

This group, also known as Pawn Storm, Sofacy and Fancy Bears, is believed to be behind other high-profile cyber attacks and to be linked to Russia’s security services.

The OSCE said “the way in which the attacker accessed the OSCE was identified, as have some of the external communication destinations”.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

France’s ambassador to the OSCE played down the dangers from the attack, saying officials in Vienna — long seen as a hotbed of espionage — are trained to be aware to the risks.

“Diplomats at the OSCE are warned that attempted spying, in whatever form, are part and parcel of this organisation,” Veronique Roger-Lacan told AFP.

– The cyber frontier –

But cyber attacks by criminals and governments are on the rise, with states and firms spending billions of dollars to defend and arm themselves.

The issue has become contentious between the United States and Russia, with the latter alleged to have hacked party computers and leaked documents during the US election campaign.

The White House has said Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly involved and President Barack Obama has vowed Washington will retaliate “at a time and place of our own choosing”.

The Kremlin has rejected the accusations, demanding America presents proof. US President-elect Donald Trump has dismissed the claims as “ridiculous”.

Written By

AFP 2023

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Join SecurityWeek and Hitachi Vantara for this this webinar to gain valuable insights and actionable steps to enhance your organization's data security and resilience.

Register

Event: ICS Cybersecurity Conference

The leading industrial cybersecurity conference for Operations, Control Systems and IT/OT Security professionals to connect on SCADA, DCS PLC and field controller cybersecurity.

Register

People on the Move

Defense contractor Nightwing has appointed Tricia Fitzmaurice as Chief Growth Officer.

Xage Security has appointed Russell McGuire as CRO and Ashraf Daqqa as VP of the META region.

Solana co-founder Stephen Akridge has been appointed the CEO of data protection firm Cyber Grant.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, threats, and expert insights. Unsubscribe at any time.